Town-Crier Newspaper March 28, 2008

42-Vote Margin Puts Willhite On Wellington Council

Alligood Out At WHS, Crocetti New Principal

By Ron Bukley Town-Crier Staff Report

After five years at the helm of Wellington High School, Principal Cheryl Alligood is leaving to take the top job at Jupiter High School.

Alligood told the Town-Crier Wednesday that she’s had a good ride at WHS, but as a Jupiter resident, the move will mean a shorter commute.

“I love Wellington. I’ve had five great years,” she said. “I couldn’t ask for greater students, faculty, parents and community. Everybody is so involved in this school. However, I live in Jupiter, and the opportunity to be at a high school that’s another wonderful high school, very, very similar to Wellington, and serve the community I live in is an opportunity that I think will be exciting for me.”

When Alligood heads to Jupiter at the end of this school year, succeeding her at WHS will be another familiar face in the educational world of the western communities: Mario Crocetti, currently principal at Wellington Landings Middle School.

Alligood said that leaving Wellington will be difficult, but added that having Crocetti as her replacement will make the school’s transition easier.

“He knows the students,” Alligood said. “He knows the community, he knows the parents and he’s so excited about it. It’s

just going to keep the school moving in such a positive direction. If I’m leaving, I’m very happy that someone like Mr. Crocetti has the opportunity to assume the leadership here.”

Crocetti said he is ready for a new challenge after 11 years at WLMS, and is looking forward to renewing relationships with his former students who have moved on to WHS.

“Eleven years is a long time for a principal to stay in one place,” Crocetti said. “I loved every minute of it, but I think it will be good for the school to have someone new come in with a fresh perspective.”

Crocetti said he expects the biggest difference he will find in helming a high school will be the number of activities on offer. “The demands in that respect are much greater than they are at the middle school level,” he said. “There’s something going on in high school every evening. Of course, the faculty is much larger and the student body is bigger. There is some curriculum that I’ll have to brush up on.”

Crocetti got his start as a teacher at Crestwood Middle School in 1983, and a few years later became the school’s assistant principal.

His first experience at Wellington Landings was in the mid1990s as assistant principal for a campus of sixth graders tem-

See PRINCIPAL, page 2

By Carol Porter and Ron Bukley Town-Crier Staff Report

Firefighter Matthew Willhite edged out attorney Howard Coates by a slim margin Tuesday to become the newest member of the Wellington Village Council.

According to the Palm Beach County Supervisor of Elections, Willhite garnered 1,546 votes (50.69 percent) to 1,504 votes (49.31 percent) for Coates, a victory margin of just 42 votes.

On hearing the poll results Tuesday evening, Willhite thanked supporters gathered at the Gypsy’s Horse Irish Pub in Wellington for working hard for his campaign.

“I can’t say thank you enough,” Willhite said. “I want to thank those of you who came out, walked the streets, knocked on doors and helped me and supported me. I can’t really express my appreciation adequately. Thank you so much.”

Willhite, who will replace retiring Councilwoman Laurie Cohen in Seat 4, gave much credit for his success to the grassroots effort of his campaign.

“We worked a hard race,”

Willhite said. “We made it into the runoff, which I was very encouraged about. We did a lot of grassroots politics, which was important to the race. We were out-funded. We ran a good, clean campaign. We didn’t go negative on things. We kept it above-board.”

Willhite, a Palm Beach County Fire-Rescue lieutenant, is legislative vice president of the local firefighters’ union and has participated in political campaigns and lobbying efforts at the state and local level. He was disappointed that Coates tried to paint that activity as a negative.

“I think my opponent went negative by attacking my profession and the things I do,” Willhite said. “He said my profession was a Tallahassee lobbyist. It was a personal attack.”

But Willhite said he and his supporters mounted a positive campaign, which won voters over. “We stood on street corners, and we met people,” he said. “I think that resonated. They saw that we were going to work for them. People wanted someone who would represent their best interests and represent them in a positive fashion, moving toward a better future.”

Wellington Vice Mayor Bob Margolis, a Willhite supporter on hand for the victory celebration, said he endorsed Willhite because he thought he would make a good council member.

“He’s done his homework,” Margolis said. “He’s been at council meetings for the last five years. He knows what the issues are. He didn’t just come a month before he decided to run and tell people he knows all the issues. I know Matt will protect our green space.”

Willhite said his only notion of his political future at this point is the learning curve involved in being a new council member.

“Obviously, I’m sure there will be a lot of discussion with staff, and I will be learning a lot of things,” he said. “It’s not like you can step in and know everything about the village. There’s other council members to learn from.”

Willhite said his status as an officer with Palm Beach County Fire-Rescue, which provides service to the village, would not be an issue, as it had not been with former mayor Tom Wenham, also a PBCFR employee.

“The mayor for the last six

By Carol Porter

ly of the late Lt. Rafael “Ray” Vazquez of Palm Beach County Fire-Rescue, organizers said Monday. Vazquez was the sole fatality in a gunman’s random shooting spree in a West Palm Beach Wendy’s restaurant earlier this month. He is survived by his wife and five children. Besides benefiting its scholarship program, the Royal Palm Beach Rotary Club designates a beneficiary each year for the fundraising tournament. While the club had already designated the American Legion baseball program as this year’s beneficiary, tournament co-chair Terri Wescott explained that in the wake of the tragic shooting, the club recognized Vazquez’s standing as a public servant and member of their own community, as

well as the needs of the family he left behind.

“We decided as a club to step up and honor his memory by doing this golf tournament and having a portion of the proceeds go to his family,” Wescott said. “The Links [at Madison Green] has been gracious in allowing us to play here and has helped us with golf tournaments in the past. The mission of our golf tournaments is youth and community, and part of the community is giving back to Ray, and some of the proceeds will be going to American Legion Baseball, which services Royal Palm Beach and Wellington.” This is the second year the Rotary tournament will be held at the Links at Madison Green, and club manager Richard LeConche said the course will make an extra effort to host a successful tournament. “We are going to raise as much money through our members and people who play the course toward the event, and try to get as much See ROTARY, page 20

Golf Benefit — Palm Beach County Sheriff’s Office Lt. Eric Coleman, Catherine Engel, Scott Armand, Terri Wescott and Palm Beach County Fire-Rescue Battalion Chief Nigel Baker met at the Links at Madison Green on Monday afternoon to unveil plans for the Royal Palm Beach Rotary Club’s upcoming golf tournament to benefit the family of PBCFR Lt. Rafael Vazquez.

PHOTO BY CAROL PORTER/TOWN-CRIER

Councilman-Elect — Matthew Willhite thanks supporters Tuesday evening at his victory celebration at the Gypsy’s Horse in Wellington.

PHOTO BY CAROL PORTER/TOWN-CRIER

The Village of Wellington held its annual egg hunt for children ages one to ten on Saturday, March 22 at Village Park. Shown

Royal Palm Beach: Dropping E Road/ 140th A Bad Idea

By Steve Pike Town-Crier Staff Report

The Royal Palm Beach Village Council voted unanimously last week to direct village staff to move forward with its objection to Palm Beach County plans to remove E Road and 140th Avenue North from its thoroughfare identification map.

The Palm Beach County Planning Commission, formerly the Land Use Advisory Board, approved the change on March 7, and the Palm Beach County Commission is scheduled to review the thoroughfare map amendment April 28.

The council wants the roads, which bisect The Acreage and Loxahatchee Groves, to remain in the county’s future thoroughfare plans because the roads would relieve traffic on Royal Palm Beach Blvd., which currently is the only major north-south road parallel to Royal Palm Beach Blvd. until Seminole Pratt Whitney Road to the west.

The village’s objection to the removal of E Road and 140th Avenue North from the thoroughfare map has the potential to further sour its relations with the Town of Loxahatchee Groves and the Indian Trail Improvement District in The Acreage. The Loxahatchee Groves Town Council and ITID supervisors have long called for the removal of E Road and 140th Avenue North from the thoroughfare map, as well as a plan to connect the two roads, which run along a continuous alignment but are separated by a canal.

ITID President Mike Erickson criticized Royal Palm Beach Mayor David Lodwick last week for not supporting the ITID in its request to the county planning commission to remove the roads from the thoroughfare map, adding that the ITID had backed the village in its attempts to get work done on the Roebuck Road extension.

At the March 20 Royal Palm

Principal Alligood Heading To Jupiter High

continued from page 1

porarily housed there, and before returning to WLMS as its principal, he spent six months at Royal Palm Beach High School as an assistant principal in charge of administrative issues including schedules, budgets and hiring.

Alligood said she and Crocetti met with WHS faculty and staff last week to inform them of the change.

“We’ve already begun talking about the transition,” she said.

“I’m making sure he’s a part of the decisions so the school is ready for him to step in the next day and keep on going without missing a beat.”

The school district’s decision to move Alligood to Jupiter took into account that community’s similarity to Wellington, she said.

“It’s a very similar community demographically,” she said.

“We look at Jupiter and some of the Boca schools and Wellington as being similar in student populations and communities they serve, so their programs are similar. It will be an easy transition in that I’m familiar with the kind of programs they have, the students and the community.

I’ve lived in Jupiter since 1996, so I’m very familiar with the area.”

Prior to becoming a principal at WHS, Alligood said she was in administration for about 20 years, her final posting being assistant superintendent for curriculum and instruction.

“I did that eight years and decided I wanted to be with kids, and I have loved every minute of it,” she said. “I wouldn’t do anything else but be a principal.”

Alligood said that after 28 years in the field of education, she plans on working seven

Beach Village Council meeting, however, Lodwick made it clear where Royal Palm Beach stands.

“We’re not going downtown demanding new roads be designated thoroughfares through the middle of someone’s community,” Lodwick told fellow council members. “The road is already designated as a thoroughfare. We know we’re in a housing slump. However, that will end. It’s a hot-and-cold real estate market, and it will get hot again. Then GL Homes will build their homes out to the west and by then, CalleryJudge will have its approval to build thousands of additional homes. Those will be residents who need to come east and south just like everybody does now.”

Lodwick said he believes the only “fair and equitable” thing to do is for communities to work together.

“To me it’s just a question of fundamental fairness,” he said. “E Road needs to be a north-south thoroughfare. All the communities are trying to make themselves better. We’ll try to work with them every way we can, but you certainly can’t expect at this late date in the game to take roads off the thoroughfare plan and expect others to take your burden. That just doesn’t work well with me.”

New Councilwoman Martha Webster echoed Lodwick’s sentiments.

“As the county continues to grow westward, it is unreasonable for us to be taking thoroughfares off any plan this point,” she said. “The only way we can all not be impacted is that we have to share the burden of some of these roadways. We don’t want to build up animosity. We are trying to work with you, but just how can you take a roadway off a plan when the county is moving westward and there are more plans to continue to move westward? It’s just not reasonable.”

more years before she retires. “There’s not a better job than what I’ve been doing the last five years, and Wellington has been very supportive. I have to tell you, that makes the difference for a principal,” she said. Alligood will replace the retiring Dr. Paula Nessmith at Jupiter High School, which has been undergoing a major reconstruction project. Decisions to move personnel are made by Palm Beach County School Superintendent Dr. Art Johnson with input from area superintendents. The changes are subject to approval by the Palm Beach County School Board. The board approved the AlligoodCrocetti change Wednesday. Alligood and Crocetti said a new principal for Wellington Landings has not yet been announced.

‘We’ve already begun talking about the transition. I’m making sure he’s a part of the decisions so the school is ready for him to step in the next day and keep on going without missing a beat.’

— Cheryl Alligood on new WHS Principal Mario Crocetti

Cheryl Alligood

Mario Crocetti

Lexus Signs On As Key Sponsor For Expanded Jazz Festival

By Carol Porter Town-Crier Staff Report

Manuel Bornia, artistic director of the Cultural Trust of the Palm Beaches, visited the main sponsor of this year’s Palm Beach Jazz Festival on Wednesday to tout the festival’s performer lineup and other features.

The Palm Beach Jazz Festival, taking place in Wellington April 11 through 13, is being presented by Lexus of Palm Beach on Okeechobee Blvd. in West Palm Beach.

Standing in the Lexus of Palm Beach showroom and accompanied by the luxury car dealership’s General Manager Clifford Brush, Bornia said he was excited about the involvement of Lexus in producing the expanding festival.

“We are elevating the jazz festival to the Lexus standard,” Bornia said. “Last year, we expanded the festival to a second day. This year, we’ve added another day, expanding it to a three-day festival.”

Bornia said the festival, now in its third year, is catering to a growing audience. “We are drawing huge numbers of crowds from outside the area,” he said. “We’re even drawing three percent of our audience from outside of the United States. We have calls from Texas, Los Angeles and Chicago. It has grown to receive some national buzz about being one of the leading festivals in the country.”

Bornia also said he is glad to continue producing the festival in Wellington, and that Lexus of Palm Beach recognizes that the village provides a significant portion of its clientele.

“Wellington has been a community that is a critical part of the Lexus family in Palm Beach County,” he said. “It’s a wonderful tribute to our community that Lexus has seen us as a place where they want to make an investment and continue to support jazz.”

Brush said Lexus is committed to sponsoring local cultural events.

“We have strong commitment in sponsoring the arts,” he said. “We have some affiliation with the Palm Beach International Film Festival and Ballet Florida. We have been looking for another way to give back to the community that supports us. This came along at a perfect time for us.”

As a part of its sponsorship of the event, Lexus will exhibit several of its jazzy cars in an 8,200-square-foot pavilion at the festival, which will also feature a lounge and the Jazz Café, featuring gourmet foods and fine wines. Bornia said the festival will also feature “champagne chalets” for those who want to enjoy the festival in style and comfort.

“We have upgraded our chalets from 2007,” Bornia said. “This year, our guests will be able to enjoy their own private

wait staff and restrooms. I know that some of you joined us in that last year. We are very excited to do this.”

The headline performer on the opening Friday of the show will be jazz vocalist Al Jarreau, while Saturday’s performers include Acoustic Alchemy, Randy Crawford, Joe Sample and Dave Koz. On Sunday, the show opens with blues artist Buddy Guy, followed by Spyro Gyra and David Sanborn. Western communities artists will be represented by Vanilla Monk and Copeland Davis, Bornia said.

Bornia said the Cultural Trust has been building a reputation for the classy way it treats its jazz artists.

“We bring them in, and we treat them right,” he said. “We pride ourselves on taking care of our talent.”

Other sponsors of the Palm Beach Jazz Festival include Wellington The Magazine, Armand Pest Control, The Jewish Journal, Jazziz, the Sun-Sentinel, Pepsi, the Binks Forest Golf & Country Club, Steinway Piano, Waste Management, the Forum Publishing Group, Kane Photography, Michelob and Kool 105.5 FM.

The Palm Beach Jazz Festival takes place outdoors at the Cultural Trust site just west of the Mall at Wellington Green April 11-13.

For more information, call (561) 333-4948 or visit www. culturaltrustpb.org.

Jazz Festival April 11-13 — (Above) Manuel Bornia (left) of the Cultural Trust with Lexus of Palm Beach General Manager Clifford Brush at Wednesday’s press conference. (Below) Performers at the 2008 Palm Beach Jazz Festival include jazz vocalist Al Jarreau (left) and the band Spyro Gyra.

Many Issues On The Plate As New Council Gets Down To Work

Four years after Wellington Councilwoman Laurie Cohen was elected to Seat 4 by a slim 42-vote margin, Wellington voters placed Palm Beach County FireRescue Lt. Matthew Willhite in her seat by the exact same margin Tuesday. Willhite’s narrow victory over attorney Howard Coates marked the end of a bitterly fought campaign season — one that sees two new faces on the Wellington Village Council, the other being Mayor Darell Bowen. As candidates, Willhite and Bowen promised to be agents of change, arguing that a new direction is necessary to deal with the fiscal restraints resulting from the Jan. 29 property-tax referendum and a slowing economy. With less money making its way into the village budget, the candidates said they’d do more with less. Now that they’ve been given the chance to do so, we’re looking forward to seeing them succeed. Now that the election is over, the council must promptly get back to its primary job of governing Wellington. Unfortunately, there are still a number of campaign promises from years past the council has yet to make good on. For example, real progress has been promised but never made on whether Wellington should construct a village hall facility. This was an issue that came up again this year, despite cost concerns. Is this something with which the council can “do more with less”? Another sticky issue is what to do with the K-Park property on State Road 7.

Tavern Parking A Problem That

Must Be Solved

It has come to the attention of many who live in Equestrian Club Estates that we no longer have unimpeded ingress and egress to our community. This is due to our sidewalks being blocked by motor vehicles, thus creating a safety issue. During daylight hours children walking to or from school are forced to walk on the road because the sidewalks are blocked — a real safety hazard.

Due to the lack of parking for both the horse show and the Tavern on the Green, the sidewalks are blocked all the way to Pierson Road both day and night because of all the extra functions that have been added to the show schedule. This lack of parking was created by the Village of Wellington, allowing a tent to be placed on the east side of Equestrian Club Road. This area was the only space available for spectator parking, which has now become the parking for the tents, owners, riders, trainers and grooms. It is a parking nightmare with no apparent concern for the residents or spectators to resolve this problem. The safety issue affects pedestrians, horses, golf carts, mopeds and vehicular traffic. Fire-rescue vehicles are impeded by all this congestion, which magnifies the safety issue even more.

The shared parking allowed by the village was intended for use by both the horse show and Tavern on the Green. This has been abused as both the tavern and the show have been running at the same time on many occasions, again because of so many

night functions. This further exacerbates the lack of parking, the major increase in traffic and the increasing safety issue. The village made an attempt last Saturday, March 15, and posted a few signs stating “no parking.” They also ticketed cars. On Sunday, March 16, we again were filled up on the sidewalk all the way to Pierson Road. The village starting ticketing at 2 p.m. These responses are too little, too late. If shared parking is allowed, then one or the other location should be closed. I would also like to bring to your attention that the required Unity of Title, ordered by the magistrate in June of 2007, has still not been fulfilled, and yet the Tavern on the Green was allowed to open and operate for the entire season. It was only yesterday, March 20, that I observed Sexton Engineering doing a survey of Tavern on the Green in order to apply for the Unity of Title. Obviously the village has chosen to ignore the order of the magistrate that required Unity of Title for the Tavern on the Green to operate. This safety issue requires an immediate response. A death has already occurred on Equestrian Club Road, as well as numerous golf cart and moped accidents requiring medical assistance and emergency vehicles.

Donald F. Perham Wellington

Not Happy With The Redesign

I am writing to let you know that what you consider a great improvement by changing the size of your paper (like the Palm Beach Post ) and printing in smaller letters is the worst possible change. I have been read-

After the 2006 election, victorious candidates proclaimed building a “signature park” there a top priority. As of now, nothing has been done — and K-Park’s future remains a giant question mark in the shrinking village budget.

Also discussed during the campaign was the need to attract high-tech businesses and high-paying jobs to Wellington. This is an issue championed by Bowen, who is the current president of the Wellington Chamber of Commerce. Because business is his area of expertise, this could serve as a measuring stick of his performance as mayor. Likewise, it will be interesting to see how Bowen, Willhite and their colleagues approach quality-of-life issues such as developing a consistent policy for thoroughfare hedging, finding ways to make dealing with government easier for residents and deciding at what level the village should be subsidizing recreational activities.

Clearly, the new council has a lot on its plate, and there are no easy answers to these issues. Whatever changes are made to the way the council conducts its business, we hope they are positive changes. Though it can take only a short time for the council to vote on a new ordinance, the negative effects of hasty decisionmaking can take years to undo. And that is something no one wants to campaign on.

LETTERS TO THE EDITOR

ing the Town-Crier since its inception, but now I will just put it in the recycle bin to save the strain on my eyes.

Pearl Feinberg

Royal Palm Beach

Editor’s note: While we certainly understand Ms. Feinberg’s concerns, we feel the changes were necessary for the future growth of the newspaper and in the long run will make for a better, more readable newspaper.

Put Community Over Politics

Editor’s note: The following letter is from attorney Howard Coates, who lost the March 25 runoff election for Wellington Village Council Seat 4 to firefighter Matthew Willhite. I would like to extend my sincere thanks and appreciation for all of those who supported me during my campaign for Wellington Village Council. We can be proud of the fact that we ran a clean campaign and did not resort to partisanship or lastminute smear tactics. Whether those tactics had any bearing on the outcome we’ll never know, and in any event, it is a moot point.

Those of you who know me supported me for my honesty and integrity, and for my vision of Wellington’s future. I will remain a family man committed to my wife and children, a resident committed to preserving Wellington’s quality of life, and a businessman and attorney committed to fostering a strong, vibrant local economy. I learned a lot along the way, met a tremendous number of hardworking people who, like me, work 12 to 16 hours every day to support their families and are con-

cerned about the taxes they pay and government spending. Candidly, I did not like the politics of the campaign — I am not, never have been and never will be a politician. I gave direct answers to questions, backed them up in writing and made sure that the voters of Wellington could trust in believing that with me, “what you see is what you get.”

There will be many difficult decisions that will face our council in the years to come. I can only hope that politics and special interests will take a back seat in guiding our leaders to make decisions in the best interests of all of Wellington. It is more important than ever that our council members truly be public servants in every sense of the word, and not politicians beholden to the special interests that helped get them elected. As a continuing Wellington resident, I hope that my opponent’s campaign slogan “a public servant, not a politician” is more than mere words, but a commitment to all of Wellington that he will do the right thing for our community, even when it may be at his own personal expense and sacrifice or that of the special interest that so strongly and successfully supported him. For me, community above self will be the measure of whether my opponent, and for that matter the entire village council, is truly a public servant, or simply another person seeking political office to protect his own interests. We need better, and I genuinely hope that we have got it. Howard Coates Wellington

Not A Trolley Fan

While I had the pleasure of serving with Mr. Sam Nebb on

the Senior Citizens Task Force, I must take exception to his assessment that Wellington still needs a trolley system and that Mayor Darell Bowen is the man to spearhead this initiative (“Wellington Still Needs Trolley,” Letters, March 14). My objections to dredging up this old issue again are simple. First, the number of Wellington residents who expressed an “interest” in having a trolley system as reported by Mr. Nebb is grossly statistically insignificant and there were absolutely no details presented in the survey that included ridership costs, operational philosophies, routings, etc. Second, while the task force did make a recommendation that the council should look at this service, we did so without a detailed cost-benefit analysis that would be required for such an undertaking, and the proposed funding requirements from the town are now way out of line with today’s tax-reduction/containment initiatives.

Third, I personally have not talked to one senior citizen, or soon-to-be senior citizen, who would be in favor of such an enterprise, and they certainly would not be willing to walk to a major trolley stop in the heat, sun and rain we often experience here in South Florida.

Mr. Bowen should not con-

sider or support a trolley system as an urgent Wellington need or even a justifiable “want.” In today’s tax-containment environment, a trolley system for Wellington could not come close to passing the “must have” test. Joseph Manning Wellington

Aaronson: Pass Red Light Bill

I have been on a crusade to have cameras installed at intersections to help prevent red-light running since 1999 when I received some alarming statistics. In 1997 and 1998, accidents resulting from drivers disregarding traffic signals totaled 2,624. There were 37 fatalities. I began to research the use of surveillance cameras at intersections throughout the country. In 1999, there were 1,319 accidents resulting from drivers disregarding traffic signals. There were 11 fatalities, including the six residents from the Whisper Walk community. I became convinced that the county had to take action.

I took my case to the county commission, and the board approved a two-month pilot project. The project consisted of using surveillance cameras at an intersection in the county to See LETTERS, page 20

SEND IN YOUR LETTERS

The Town-Crier welcomes letters to the editor. Please keep letters brief (300 words). Submit letters, with contact name, address, and telephone number (anonymous letters will not be published), to The Town-Crier, 12794 W. Forest Hill Blvd., Suite 31, Wellington, FL 33414; fax them to (561) 793-6090; or you can e-mail them to letters@goTownCrier.com

Lox Groves Must Not Protect Itself At The Expense Of Others

The young Town of Loxahatchee Groves held its first community-visioning meeting to determine which of myriad elements (a euphemism for planning, code enforcement and a litany of other restrictions) will shape the state-mandated master plan for the community.

Members of the town council addressed the 50 or so participants who showed up to provide their input, reminding them that Loxahatchee Groves should be protected at all costs from interlopers and others who might infringe on their lifestyle. They and other facilitators hired to come up with a blueprint for the future of the community instructed participants to meet in groups and recommend items they would like to see contained in a master plan. The process is expected to wind down in just a few weeks. When Wellington created its own master plan a decade ago, citizen groups met for several months and criticism of many of their recommendations lingered for years.

While Loxahatchee Groves is creating its master plan to “protect the rural character” of the town,

Point of View...

By Don Brown

residents and leaders in Royal Palm Beach, Wellington and even The Acreage will undoubtedly keep a cautious eye on the progress to see that the new town doesn’t infringe on other western communities.

Already the town’s council members have sent out messages regarding roads that are causing some concern among neighboring leaders, they have mentioned to me privately. For example, the town’s opposition to further widening of Southern Blvd., now an east-west expressway, will pose traffic slowdowns for virtually all of the western communities. Loxahatchee Groves is also opposed to any widening of Okeechobee Blvd.,

TOWN-CRIER

which county traffic experts believe will help relieve traffic coming out of The Acreage through Royal Palm Beach.

While The Acreage’s Indian Trail Improvement District has urged the state legislature to fund the extension of Roebuck Road from Jog Road to State Road 7 and the SR 7 extension from Okeechobee Blvd. to Northlake Blvd., Loxahatchee Groves has been conspicuously silent.

All three of Loxahatchee Groves’ neighbors also are hoping the town will allow more commercial development to ease traffic pressures on their own communities. For example, traffic on Forest Hill Blvd. was a topic of debate in the most recent Wellington village election. The main problem: Loxahatchee Groves and Acreage residents using Forest Hill Blvd. to reach the Mall at Wellington Green and other shops and restaurants. How would Loxahatchee Groves residents react if Wellington solved that problem by putting a barricade up on Forest Hill at Southern?

Loxahatchee Groves is also toying with closing off North Road, which Acreage residents use

‘Here’s my single unsolicited suggestion for one of the planks in Loxahatchee Groves’ master plan: treat all your neighbors like you want to be treated yourself.’

as a shortcut, near the Sunsport Gardens naturist resort. The town will soon discover what its sister municipalities of Royal Palm Beach and Wellington have long known. Sometimes seemingly local interests have a farther-reaching regional impact.

Here’s my single unsolicited suggestion for one of the planks in Loxahatchee Groves’ master plan: treat all your neighbors like you want to be treated yourself. Now that you are a municipality, you have a far greater responsibility than when you were able to hide behind unincorporated county anonymity. Town leaders have a duty to think beyond their own borders.

A Poor Environmental Report Card

Well here’s a report card we shouldn’t be too happy about. The United States is last among eight industrialized nations and 39th among the 149 countries on the newest list of environmental performers. The research, conducted by Yale and Columbia, tabs Switzerland, Sweden, Norway and Finland as the top performers in the rankings, which include sanitation, greenhouse gas emissions, agricultural waste, air pollution, etc. With this research project adding more emphasis on climate change, Switzerland easily has the most greenhouse-gas efficient economy. This occurs because the Swiss feature hydroelectric power in their transportation system, which also relies heavily on trains rather than cars or buses. The United States keeps losing ground because “it continues to score bottom-tier performances in greenhouse gas emissions,” according to Daniel Esty, the report’s chief author. His credentials include serving as director of the Yale Center for

Environmental Law and Policy. James Connaughton, chairman of the White House Council on Environmental Quality, indicated the U.S. problems were being addressed by the Bush administration. New directives are designed to curb key chemical emissions from power plants and from the burning of diesel fuels. “We recognized

Connaughton said. “Now we have a program that in the next ten years is going to make inroads in a big way.”

He also mentioned, probably inadvertently, that the U.S. currently contributes a quarter of the world’s greenhouse gases. Other bottom-dwellers in the report are India, China and Aus-

By Jules W. Rabin

Wellington Chamber Installs New Officers, Honors ‘Men Of The Year’

By Carol Porter Town-Crier Staff Report

The Wellington Chamber of Commerce bade farewell on Wednesday to its president of the past year Darell Bowen, who is now the newly elected mayor of Wellington.

Besides ushering in its board of directors for 2008-09, the chamber’s monthly business luncheon at the Players Club was also occasion to recognize the chamber’s Men of the Year: equestrian leaders Gene Mische, Mark Bellissimo, David Burton Sr. and Glenn Straub. Wellington Chamber Executive Director Michela PerilloGreen thanked Bowen for his service as president the past year and praised him for running for council. Even though Bowen has moved on to the mayor’s office, she said, he would still be involved with the chamber as a past board member.

“He’s a true leader and a friend,” Perillo-Green said. “I consider him to be a part of the family. He’s a spectacular person to be on any team. He will continue on with us even though he has taken on a new role as

mayor. I hope Darell can continue to serve as an example to many of us who strive to do things.”

Bowen thanked Perillo-Green for her comments and praised the team at the chamber, including members Diana Tashman and Nan Martin, for their hard work in promoting the chamber in the community and building up its membership.

“As your president, I came in with some very modest goals a year ago,” Bowen said. “Some of the things I wanted to do was to stabilize our membership, create more activity and more participation in our events. All you have to do is look around this room, and we have done that.”

Bowen said he is proud the chamber grew significantly under his leadership.

“We wanted to do everything we could to help the businesses in our community,” he said.

“During the past year, the board has worked extremely hard to create more activity, more participation and more membership. We are at a little over 400 members. We are all paid up,

and they are all good members. We have worked really hard on that. We had to have better programs, better speakers and better events. We are now averaging nearly 150 people at luncheons [because] we have speakers people want to hear, about things that are pertinent to our businesses.”

Bowen said that as chamber president he lobbied hard to lower the village’s tax rate, and he said he would work hard as mayor to keep it low. “I hope to see it go even lower this year,” Bowen said. “I know businesses are suffering right now. I know what it’s like. Sales are down, and it’s much more diffi-

See CHAMBER, page 20

(L-R) Wellington Chamber Executive Director Michela Perillo-Green, Gene Mische, Glenn Straub, Wellington Mayor Darell Bowen, Mike Nelson and Mark Bellissimo.

Darell Bowen swears in the new board.

Darell Bowen, outgoing president and Wellington’s new mayor, with the new Wellington Chamber board.

Mike Nelson, the chamber’s new president, says a few words.Sponsor Marty Katz presents David Burton

PHOTOS BY CAROL PORTER/TOWN-CRIER

Saddle Thieves Target Wellington Stables

By Steve Pike Town-Crier Staff Report

MARCH 17 — The Palm Beach County Sheriff’s Office substation in Wellington received two calls last Monday regarding the theft of horse saddles from stables in Paddock Park. According to PBSO reports, both thefts were discovered at 11 a.m., possibly having occurred overnight. One of the victims, who called from a stable on Paddock Drive, said her custom-made jumper saddle was taken from an outside barn that backs up to a horse trail. She also said that numerous other saddles and bridles in the room were not taken. The other victim, calling from a stable on Drafthorse Lane, reported the loss of two saddles from an outside barn; one is a faded black Henning dressage saddle worth $4,600, and the other is new black Duett saddle worth $2,500. The victim, who rents the barn, said eight other saddles and bridles in the same room were untouched. The barn backs up to a horse trail. A third incident occurred last Sunday at a stable on Appaloosa Trail, where two saddles were stolen from a tack room. According to the victim, entrance was made through an unlocked sliding-glass door. The saddles are worth a combined $6,000; one is described as a brown, English-style saddle and the other is a custommade brown country saddle.

MARCH 17 — A Miami man was arrested on a gun possession charge last Monday on State Road 7 in Royal Palm Beach. According to a PBSO report, a deputy from the PBSO substation in Royal Palm Beach stopped 40-year-old Norbert Guzman at approximately 4 p.m. for driving a unregistered vehicle. Upon reaching the vehicle, the deputy observed two handgun cases on the driver’sside seat. Guzman admitted there was a handgun in each of the cases, according to the report. Guzman also said the vehicle belonged to his fiancée and that he had driven up from Miami to buy the guns. A check with Miami-Dade County authorities revealed Guzman had a felony conviction for trafficking cocaine in 1993. Guzman admitted he knew he couldn’t buy the guns because of his felony conviction, according to the report. An inventory search of the vehicle revealed a third handgun in a black handbag. Guzman was charged with possession of a firearm by a convicted felon and driving an unregistered vehicle. He was transported to the county jail.

MARCH 19 — A West Palm

Beach man was arrested for driving without a license and failure to provide car registration on Royal Palm Beach Blvd. last Wednesday. According to a PBSO report, a deputy from the substation in Royal Palm Beach stopped a car driven by 19-yearold Gabriel Puc Ku at approximately 10:21 p.m. because of a defective left headlight. Puc Ku was unable to provide a Florida driver’s license, registration or insurance cards. According to the report, he was hesitant about his date of birth and uncertain as to his age. Puc Ku gave the deputy a Mexican ID, but a computer check revealed that Puc Ku previously had been arrested in Palm Beach County with a different date of birth and a different spelling of his last name. He was arrested for providing false information and driving without a license, and taken to the county jail.

MARCH 20 — A Royal Palm Beach woman was arrested last Thursday for grand theft at the Dillard’s department store in the Mall at Wellington Green. According to a PBSO report, a store security officer observed 52-year-old Nancy Bardt conceal several items in her shopping bag and exit the store without paying for them. The items were worth a total of $348. Bardt was transported to the county jail.

MARCH 22 — A Wellington man called the PBSO substation in Wellington last Saturday to report a grand theft. According to a PBSO report, at sometime between midnight and 6 a.m., a white golf cart was stolen from his garage. The cart is worth approximately $3,500.

MARCH 24 — A deputy from the PBSO substation in Wellington on Monday arrested a man on drug charges near the intersection of White Pine Drive and the 12th Fairway. According to a PBSO report, the deputy initiated a routine traffic stop on 21-year-old George Rivera. Rivera admitted he had Xanax in his possession, according to the report. A search of Rivera confirmed this. Rivera was transported to the county jail.

MARCH 26 — A woman called the PBSO substation in Wellington on Wednesday night to report a stolen vehicle. According to the victim, she parked her car on the east side of Dillard’s department store in the Mall at Wellington Green at approximately 11 a.m. When she returned at 8:20 p.m., the vehicle was missing. Mall security officers reviewed surveillance footage, but there was none of the victim’s vehicle.

Man Arrested For Carjacking At Jail

MARCH 25 — A Wellington woman was the victim of an attempted carjacking Tuesday at the Palm Beach County Jail on Gun Club Road.

According to a Palm Beach County Sheriff’s Office report, the woman parked her vehicle in the visitation parking lot at approximately 11:45 a.m.

After exiting the vehicle, the woman was approached by 21year-old Frank Singleton of West Palm Beach, who ran up to her and yelled, “give me your car.” The woman reentered her vehicle and pleaded with Singleton to not take it, according to the report. Singleton responded by dragging her from the vehicle and taking her keys. He was stopped by an armed PBSO clergy member who witnessed the crime. Singleton was placed under arrest and charged with carjacking and trespassing.

Crime Stoppers of Palm Beach County is asking for the public’s help in finding these wanted fugitives:

• Nicholas Bowers is a white male, 6’5” tall and weighing 250 lbs., with brown hair and brown eyes. His date of birth is 08/13/88. He has tattoos on both arms, his neck and shoulder, and a scar on his forehead. Bowers is wanted for grand theft. His occupation is unknown. His last known address was 9th Lane in Greenacres. Bowers is wanted as of 03/27/08. • Sergio Fuentes is a black male, 6’ tall and weighing 180 lbs., with black hair and brown eyes. His date of birth is 03/07/77. He has a tattoo on his left arm and shoulder, a scar on his abdomen and pierced ears. Fuentes is wanted for burglary of a structure or conveyance. His occupation is laborer. His last known address was Madison Chase in Royal Palm Beach. Fuentes is wanted as of 03/27/08. Remain anonymous and you may be eligible for up to a $1,000 reward. Call Crime Stoppers at (800) 458-TIPS (8477) or visit www.crimestopperspbc. com.

Nicholas Bowers

Sergio Fuentes

Indian Trail: Finishing SR 7 Is More Important Than Roebuck

By Leonard Wechsler Town-Crier Staff Report

As the rift among local governments over road projects

widens, Indian Trail Improvement District supervisors last week entertained the possibility of an alliance with the City of West Palm Beach, which is opposing the westward extension of Roebuck Road on environmental grounds.

The ITID Board of Supervisors met March 20 for a workshop to discuss the possibility of placing conditions on permit requests from Palm Beach County that would allow a county-funded extension of State Road 7 to connect to district roads.

The issue arose when the board discussed conditions they would ask for in order to allow permits for road connections for the Acreage Reliever Road to connect to district roads.

District Engineer Jay Foy told the board that the county has designated three connections to the northward SR 7 extension: at Orange Grove Blvd. and at Persimmon Blvd. in The Acreage, and at Madrid Street in Royal Palm Beach, but noted that Royal Palm Beach is contesting the Madrid connection.

“Royal Palm Beach has said it would not issue a permit for a connection,” Foy told the supervisors.

Supervisor Michelle Damone suggested that the district insist that the Madrid Street connec-

tion be opened and operating before granting the county any permits to connect to ITID roads, because the village had lobbied hard for the extension. “That road was built because of the pressure they created,” she said of Royal Palm Beach.

“Now they want us to deal with all the traffic off the road.”

The supervisors suggested other possible conditions, including the widening of Persimmon Blvd., improved traffic calming on the connecting roads east of Royal Palm Beach Blvd., as well as improved paving on roads that will bear the traffic coming off the connection.

“People can drive really fast off the Persimmon Blvd. exit,”

Supervisor Sandra Love Semande said, “and there are no stop signs or anything else to slow them down until they get to Royal Palm Beach Blvd. That will make it unsafe for everyone in that area.”

The ITID supervisors lobbied state legislators in Tallahassee this month for funding of a study on the extension of State Road 7 to Northlake Blvd. The county’s extension work is planned to go only so far as 60th Street North. Erickson suggested imposing a condition on the county to add continued work on the SR 7 extension to the county’s five-year roadwork plan, while delaying plans for a Roebuck Road extension to SR 7.

“Why not push Roebuck Road back to at least seven years

down the line? They don’t have any plans now for the road,” he said. “We should have our planning, design and environmental study work done by the end of next year.”

Damone agreed. “Why not talk to West Palm Beach on this?” she asked. “We make sure we get at least a two-lane road built if the state does not come through with funding. We need this road for an emergency evacuation. Public safety should not be put behind traffic problems.”

Damone said the funds already in hand for Roebuck Road could be applied to other projects. “We could take the $45 million allocated for the threemile Roebuck Road extension and use it to first finish the SR 7 extension, and then extend Seminole Pratt Whitney Road all the way to the Beeline,” she said.

“That would make a commute from out here to one of our biggest job centers a quick six-mile drive. It would bring up real estate prices and help the community.”

In other business, the supervisors voiced support for a more organized planning approach to the future of Northlake Blvd.

Land Design South planner

Bob Bentz urged the supervisors to approve a planning process that would allow property owners he represents to create a design for the Northlake corridor that runs through the northern part of ITID.

“My clients own 70 percent

of the properties along Northlake,” Bentz said, “and if you approve their design, every other developer would have to meet their standards.”

Bentz said the property owners he represents are seeking to change the land-use designation of property along Northlake Blvd. between Coconut Blvd. and 130th Avenue North from

Agricultural-Residential to Rural Residential 5, and to eventually put a 131,000-square-foot commercial development there. Further west, on land between Avocado Blvd. and 140th Avenue North, half the land would remain wooded preserves and the remaining 35 acres would be used either for residential or civic use, Bentz said.

“This would be a great place for a library and a firehouse,” Semande said. “By getting involved at the beginning, we can have a major voice in how this should be designed. For a change, our residents would have a say on what’s going to affect them.”

Damone warned that the ownSee ROADS, page 9

County Rock Mining Summit Deemed Positive, Productive

The Palm Beach County Commission took up the complicated issue of rock mining in the Everglades Agricultural Area (EAA) during a well-attended three-hour summit on March 19 at the Hutcheson Ag-

ricultural Center. Commissioners held the factfinding session with mining and construction representatives, environmentalists, and state and federal regulators to provide county staff direction on permit

requests and to establish a coordinated review process for mining within the 700,000-acre EAA. Palm Beach County is one of the few places in the state with significant deposits of limestone and other aggregate sources needed for road construction and industry.

Following a series of reports and public comment, commissioners agreed to have the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers involved in the pre-application process. They will also send a letter to the state asking that the EAA be designated a region of critical concern. Further, they directed county staff to look into possibly hiring a team of independent experts to prepare a comprehensive analysis of the long-range effects rock mining could have on water quality, wetlands, wildlife and farming in the EAA.

Mining Summit — Tom Missimer of Schlumberger Water Services shows a core sample of the high-grade limestone present in the EAA.

WHS Students Stage Mock DUI Accident

By Carol Porter Town-Crier Staff Report

In advance of Wellington High School’s prom Friday night, trauma nurse and educator Robin Powers of St. Mary’s Medical Center spoke to the students Wednesday about what not to do that evening — drinking and driving.

Powers presented a video in the school’s gym warning students about the hazards of drinking and driving, followed by a demonstration on the football field of what happens when students drink.

The mock scenario was acted out by Student Government Association members, along with representatives of Palm Beach County Fire-Rescue and the Palm Beach County Sheriff’s Office.

The mock scenario began

with a PBSO officer arrived on the scene after the “accident,” followed by fire-rescue personnel, who “rescued” students from the destroyed cars and covered up one student who had “died” with a yellow blanket. The student who was “drinking” and caused the accident was handcuffed and put into a squad car. At the end of the scenario, a Trauma Hawk landed in the field to take one “severely injured student” to a trauma center.

Powers concluded the presentation by saying Wednesday’s presentation was only a demonstration, but it could become reality for students who drink and drive on prom night.

The WHS prom will be held Friday, March 28 at the Palm Beach County Convention Center starting at 8 p.m.

personnel

SR 7 Workshop April 16

The Florida Department of Transportation will hold a public workshop on Wednesday, April 16 from 5:30 to 7:30 p.m. at the Royal Palm Beach Cultural Center.

The purpose of the workshop is to present preliminary concept plans and traffic data for discussion and feedback regarding the State Road 7 extension. This project proposes to extend SR 7 from Okeechobee Blvd. north to Northlake Blvd.

Department representatives will be on hand during the workshop to informally discuss the project and answer questions. Written comments will be ac-

cepted during the workshop. In addition, a court reporter will be available to record verbal statements. Notices have been sent to other public officials and agencies interested in the project. The RPB Cultural Center is located at 151 Civic Center Way. For more information about the project or the scheduled workshop, call Project Manager Beatriz Caicedo-Maddison at (954) 777-4336 or toll free at (866) 336-8435, ext. 4336; or Assistant Project Manager Gregor Senger at (954) 777-4141 or toll free at (866) 336-8435, ext. 4141.

Bronson Urges Horse Vaccinations In Florida

Florida Agriculture & Consumer Services Commissioner

Charles Bronson is reminding horse owners to take advantage of the vaccines available to protect their animals against Eastern equine encephalitis (EEE) and West Nile virus.

As the weather in Florida warms up, the mosquito populations will increase, as will the potential for mosquito-borne diseases. Already, nine cases of EEE have been confirmed in Florida since the beginning of the year even though the peak season does not begin until May. There were 18 cases of EEE in 2007 for the entire year.

Bronson said the majority of cases can be prevented through proper vaccinations and booster shots against mosquito-borne illnesses, and he is urging horse owners to take action now. In the nine cases in 2008, six of the

horses had not been vaccinated and two had not gotten booster shots. Only one horse was current with vaccinations.

“I am very concerned about the high number of cases so early in the year, and I hope it doesn’t mean we are in for a bad year,” Bronson said. EEE is a viral disease that affects the central nervous system and is transmitted to horses by infected mosquitoes. Signs of the virus include fever, listlessness, stumbling, circling, coma and usually death. The disease is fatal to horses in 90 percent of the cases. So far this year, EEE has been confirmed in horses in Putnam, Lake, Polk, Columbia, Clay and Volusia counties, all of which were fatal. Volusia has been hit the hardest, with four of the nine cases having been found there.

Kabbalah Course Starts April 24 In Wellington

A six-week “Power of Kabbalah” course will be offered at the Wellington Community Center starting Thursday, April 24 from 6:30 to 8 p.m. The course is led by Eliyahu Jian, spiritual director of the Boca Raton Kabbalah Centre.

Kabbalah has been called “the best kept secret of our time.” It is considered by many to be the key that unlocks all the mysteries of life. Kabbalah translates the meaning of the universe and transforms its strength directly to you. It’s a workable system that reveals wisdom so powerful that it allows you to understand your purpose for being here — so you can experience the joy you were put on Earth to have. The cost to enroll in the course is $270. To register, or for more information, call Miki at (561) 488-8826.

Student-participants gather in front of the Trauma Hawk.

PHOTOS BY CAROL PORTER/TOWN-CRIER

Trauma nurse and educator Robin Powers.

A PBSO deputy “arrests” the “drunk driver.”

Fire-rescue

work to “rescue” the “seriously injured” student before tending to the deceased (front).

Palm Beach County Fire-Rescue workers take a “seriously injured” student to the Trauma Hawk.

The mock accident scene before fire-rescue personnel and sheriff’s deputies arrive.

Several Dozen Attend First Loxahatchee Groves Planning Session

By Carol Porter Town-Crier Staff Report

The people of Loxahatchee Groves began forging a plan for the future of their town last Saturday at a kickoff meeting for a series of visioning sessions to create the framework for the town’s strategic plan.

The town has engaged the planning firm Analytica Inc. to organize public participation in the visioning sessions and create the plan. Engineering and planning firm Calvin, Giordano & Associates will undertake the town’s comprehensive planning process that will follow. Representatives of both firms were on hand at Saturday’s meeting at Loxahatchee Groves Elementary School, as well as members of the town council and staff, and several dozen residents.

Councilmen Dennis Lipp and Dr. Bill Louda welcomed residents to the session and asked them to speak up about the issues that concern them. Louda noted that he had reversed his stance on incorporation and gotten involved in the self-determination of the community, and urged other residents to do so as well. “Most of you remember that I was on the committee against incorporation several years ago, and then decided to become involved with incorpo-

Roads

Northlake Planning

continued from page 7 ers might come back and ask for a change to the designated preserve in the future.

Bentz said the property owners might let ITID take ownership of the land, but details could be worked out in future talks.

Semande said she favored moving ahead with talks about the future of Northlake Blvd. “I want to be proactive,” she said. “I don’t want a long strip mall here in the future because we didn’t take action now. I want to have a voice.”

Supervisor Ralph Bair said he would prefer comprehensive planning rather than piecemeal development. “It will look better, and we’ll have a lot more control,” he said.

ration,” Louda said. “I became an advocate of incorporation and home rule. We have a lot of work to do. We need to do the broad brushwork and get down to the sharpened pencils later on. We need more people in attendance at these meetings. We need to pull people out of the woodwork and get them involved. If you are not active in the process, you need to be. We have a lot of work ahead of us.”

Analytica’s Dr. Herb Marlowe explained how the pattern of that day’s meeting would be followed in future sessions over the next month. He said the initial comments and suggestions gathered would be discussed and refined in focus group meetings to follow.

“In the focus groups, we will show the diversity of the perspectives gathered here, and we will test those ideas in different forms,” Marlowe said. “What we will do in the focus groups is to gather the feedback and thoughts you have and things you would like to see in the future. In the focus groups, we will also be putting together some documents and some drafts, and your town council will spend some extensive time looking at it, and in the end, they will approve a strategic plan and vision for the town.”

Supervisor Carol Jacobs agreed. “We need to get involved now or we’ll get all sorts of projects with a bit here, a bit there, until it’s a mess,” she said.

Erickson proposed inviting residents living within a thousand feet of Northlake Blvd. to a meeting to discuss the issue.

Along with the county, West Palm Beach and Palm Beach Gardens, ITID is a member of the Northlake Corridor Study Group formed to discuss plans for development in the area.

District Administrator Chris King said the county apparently wants to move forward with the proposal while West Palm Beach and Palm Beach Gardens oppose it. “If we go forward, we should be talking to everyone involved and try to work things out,” he said. “That’s what good planning is.”

‘How do you see the town evolving over time? We will take that vision and put it into goals, objectives and policies of the comprehensive plan. All of them are interrelated.’

— Planner Shelley Eichner

Marlowe noted that he had worked with municipalities across the state, and he understood that the Town of Loxahatchee Groves had incorporated because its people don’t want their community shaped by outside forces.

“You don’t want to be like the rest of Palm Beach County,” he said. “Loxahatchee Groves is a very special place. What we are trying to figure out today is what is important to you as a community, as far as values, needs and aspirations.”

Shelley Eichner of Calvin, Giordano & Associates said the comprehensive plan that would eventually result from the process would not be a to-do list, but an adjustable set of standards with elements that are interrelated.

“How do you see the town evolving over time?” Eichner asked. “We will take that vision and put it into goals, objectives and policies of the comprehensive plan. All of them are interrelated. Take your land-use element. How much density do you want in the town, and how much intensity do you want with development? That relates to the transportation element, and what kind of roads are you going to have, and how big are they going to be. The other key thing is they have to be financially feasible. It all has to tie together.”

Marlowe divided attendees into groups of five or six people to answer a series of questions about what residents want to preserve and what they want to change, and about perceptions of current and future threats to the town. Topics raised by participants included a host of transportation issues such as traffic, road planning and pavement, outside development pressures, the desire for “government lite,” governmental solvency and responsibility, residential density, appropriate land uses, environmental concerns and cultural is-

sues such as the treatment of migrant workers.

Before the meeting closed, Town Clerk Matt Lippman encouraged residents, including those who did not attend the meeting, to e-mail him at clerk@ loxahatcheegroves.org with any further issues or discussion points and he would incorporate the responses into the framework of any documents that would be reviewed by the town council.

Marlowe emphasized that the discussion points and input from the first visioning session did not finalize the agenda for future sessions, which would be held before any framework for a strategic plan is assembled.

Focus group meetings will take place on three Saturdays in April — 5, 12 and 26 — in three sessions each day. The first session, meeting from 9 to 11 a.m., will involve 15 residents, three selected by each of the five town council members. The second session from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. will involve 15 residents selected randomly from a list of about 100 names. A 1:30 to 3:30 p.m. session will be open to anyone who wants to participate.

“The meeting in the afternoon is open to everyone,” Marlowe said. “It’s the same content and discussion the same three times. You are welcome to come to the morning session. If you come and you are not on the morning list, you observe. If you come in the afternoon after you spoke in the morning, you observe. If for any reason we misinterpreted anything you said, please write to us and tell us.”

Louda urged participants to invite others to attend the upcoming sessions. “Please try to get your neighbors and friends to come,” he said. “This is too damned important to not get everyone’s input. There are a lot of ideas out there that are good ideas. Some of them are bad ideas. Let’s get them all in here and we can sort them out.”

Herb Marlowe of Analytica at one of the breakout sessions.

PHOTOS BY CAROL PORTER/TOWN-CRIER

Resident Nancy Handwerg with a list of important elements.

Loxahatchee Groves Councilman Dr. Bill Louda.

Shelley Eichner of Calvin, Giordano & Associates.

Auditors Give ITID A Clean Bill Of Health

By Leonard Wechsler Town-Crier Staff Report

An auditor gave the Indian Trail Improvement District a clean bill of financial health Wednesday. Deborah Diaz of the auditing firm Rampell & Rampell, who performed ITID’s annual audit, said the district’s finances were in excellent shape after reviewing figures for the fiscal year ending Sept. 30, 2007. Diaz said the district’s unreserved fund balance, reserves that are not required to satisfy debts, is about $3.2 million, about 37 percent of the district’s operational budget of $8.9 million. This is an increase from the $760,000 in the reserves at the end of September 2005.

Diaz said that unlike the previous year, when the district’s audit posed many problems, everything went smoothly this year. “We found no significant changes in entries,” she said, “no adjustments required because of spending from previous years, and no disagreements with the district’s management.”

ITID Finance Director Margie Perez said that while the report for the 2006 fiscal year contained a dozen findings of questionable practices, the most recent audit found little to complain about.

“One of the best things about this audit report is that the auditors looked at all the findings, the reports of problem areas in the last audit, and found that we had dealt with just about all of them,” Perez said. Perez did note that the current audit states a concern that opportunity for fraud is high because few people are handling the finances of the district. “We are already discussing plans to deal with that,” she said. “We are a small district, and putting in more people to handle finances would be expensive. So we are looking for reasonable alternative solutions.” Diaz agreed. “The finding is based on a new management standard, and small districts may not have enough staff to segregate financial tasks,” she said. “That does create a risk, which must be mentioned.”

The district managed to expand its reserves despite a drop in revenues. FY 2007 revenues came to $12.9 million, approximately $1.7 million lower than those of the previous year, mostly due to a decrease in district assessments approved by the previous board of supervisors.

“We inherited the lower assessments from the previous board,” ITID President Mike Erickson said. “We not only worked with the money we had after they tried to gut the budget, but we brought back the re-

serves to a really strong level.” The district also reduced its total expenditures to $11.6 million, a decrease of $1.9 million or 14 percent, through spending cuts and refinancing of debt service.

Supervisor Sandra Love Semande thanked the district’s professional staff for their good work. “I know how hard all of you have worked to keep up the level of service while cutting costs,” she said. “You’ve helped us bring respectability to the finances of the district.”

Diaz called the improvement in the fund balances the “dessert” for the budget process. “The increase in the unreserved fund balance is $2,429,928 since 2005, or 318 percent,” she said. “Another way of looking at it is that at the end of the year in 2005 you had enough money on hand to run the district for 40 days if an emergency struck. Now you have enough money to run it for 135 days.”

In other business:

• The supervisors ratified an interlocal agreement allowing Palm Beach County to be the district’s water provider by a 41 vote, with Supervisor Carol Jacobs opposed. Several members of the audience asked the board to not ratify the agreement.

Acreage resident Patricia Curry charged that agreement had undergone many changes since the board approved it Feb. 28. “This is not the same agreement you voted for,” she said. “People in the district need to see it, and they should have the right to vote on it themselves.”

• The board voted unanimously to approve a resolution calling for the extension of State Road 7 north to Northlake Blvd., calling the extension a critical daily transportation component for the western communities, and necessary to improve emergency access in the area.

• The board approved a resolution supporting a comprehensive approach to the western Northlake Blvd. corridor in conjunction with proposals from Palm Beach County planning staff to determine an overall policy toward development along the road as it runs through The Acreage.

• The board unanimously approved a resolution opposing a potential landfill at CalleryJudge Grove. At their workshop last week, the supervisors were told by Solid Waste Authority representatives that the 4,000-acre citrus grove had expressed interest in providing landfill space after the SWA invited proposals for alternatives to their targeted site near 20-Mile Bend.

Ready To Relay — With only a month left before the American Cancer Society’s 2008 Acreage/Loxahatchee Groves Relay for Life takes place at Acreage Community Park, teams and their supporters are doing their part to raise money. The overnight event will begin the evening of Friday, May 2 and continue through the following morning. For more information on volunteering, participation and sponsorship opportunities, call ACS community representative Elizabeth Gregg at (561) 366-0013, ext. 125 or e-mail her at elizabethgregg @cancer.org, or go to www.relayforlife.org/relay/findevent and search using the 33411 Acreage ZIP code. Pictured above are All Star Kids Team Captain Magda Whirlow with Chase Brant and Madison Kolesar.

WELLINGTON CHABAD HOSTS CHILDREN’S MASQUERADE BALLOON PURIM

The Chabad Children’s Masquerade Balloon Purim Party took place at the center court of the original Wellington Mall on Thursday, March 20. Each child in costume received a prize. Purim is one of the most joyous and entertaining holidays on the Jewish calendar, commemorating the time when the Jews in Persia were saved from extermination. For more information about Chabad of Wellington, call Rabbi Mendy Muskal at (561) 333-4663 or e-mail rabbim@bellsouth.net. PHOTOS BY RON BUKLEY/TOWN-CRIER

Garage Sale At RPB Veterans Park

Is your garage filled to the brim with boxes and toys? Are your closets and dressers overflowing with clothing? Then stop by the Royal Palm Beach Community Garage Sale on Saturday, April 19 at Veterans Park (corner of Sparrow Drive and Royal Palm Beach Blvd.).

From 8 a.m. to 1 p.m. the park will be filled with venders selling their treasures to lucky bargain hunters. Enjoy a great morning surrounded by the fountains and waterfall, musical entertainment and refreshments at the cafe. Interested vendors can reserve their space at the Royal Palm Beach Cultural Center (151 Civic Center Way).

A fee of $15 will reserve an open tenby-ten space. Reservations are required, and space is limited.

The deadline to register is Monday, April 14. Call (561) 790-5149 for more information.

Wellington Garden Club To Meet April 4

The Wellington Garden Club will meet Friday, April 4 at 11:45 a.m. at the Wellington Community Center, 12165 W. Forest Hill Blvd. The meeting will begin with a light lunch supplied by the members, followed by a brief business meeting and a speaker. Jesse Durko, a nursery owner from Broward County, is this month’s featured speaker. His nursery specializes in crotons, 50 varieties of bamboo, heliconias and gingers, desert plants, flowering trees and shrubs, ornamental grasses, old roses and butterfly plants. Durko brings his plants back alive

from collecting trips around the world, where he searches for new ornamentals for Florida gardens. Durko will bring new ornamentals to the meeting, explain their characteristics and offer them for sale.

Guests are welcome, and there is no charge. For more information, call Deborah Russell at (561) 793-7360.

Spring Break Activities At The Wellington JCC

Looking for entertaining and stimulating activities for your children while school is out? Check out some of the offerings at the Wellington branch of the Jewish Community Center of the Greater Palm Beaches. Activities offered include:

• High Touch-High Tech — The science program “Weather Wizards” will take place Monday, April 7 from 10:30 to 11:30 a.m. This science program is open to children in pre-K through third grade. The cost is $10. Parents may drop off their children or use the waiting area.

• Young Chefs Academy — This will take place Wednesday, April 9 from 10:30 a.m. to noon for children in kindergarten through the fifth grade. Learn to make (and then eat) delicious calzones together at the Young Chefs Academy in the Wellington Green Square near the Fresh Market. The cost is $20. Parents may drop off their children or use the waiting area.

• Camp Shemesh at the Good Earth Farm — The camp will take place Thursday, April 10 from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. for children in kindergarten

through the fifth grade. Drop off your child at the Good Earth Farm for a day of outdoor fun and games. The farm is located at 2141 B Road in Loxahatchee Groves. Participants must bring a dairy lunch and large bottle of water. This is a free event, but children must pre-register to participate.

For more information, or to register for these events, call Sharon at (561) 253-6030.

The Jewish Community Center of the Greater Palm Beaches strengthens and enriches Jewish families, individuals and the community at large through excellent cultural, health, educational, and social programs and services that emphasize Jewish values, build Jewish identity and create deeper connections with the community, enhancing the quality of life for all. For more information, visit www. jcconline.org.

Soundtrax Singers Holding Auditions

The Royal Palm Beach-based Soundtrax a cappella singers are currently holding auditions for basses and tenors to fill two vacancies in their mixed ensemble.

Voices must blend well and be strong enough to hold a part on your own. Experience in harmony and/or a cappella singing is required. Interested candidates must be able to read music very well, learn music quickly and attend weekly rehearsals on Monday nights in Royal Palm Beach. You can audition for their Dickens Holiday Carolers now and be ready for the next busy performing season.

The Soundtrax singers have been

performing extensively for public and private events throughout South Florida since 2001 at places such as the Eissey and Duncan theaters, PGA National Resort, the Waterford, Golden Lakes, the Kravis Center for the Performing Arts and numerous other

venues. They sing all styles of music including pop, jazz, doo-wop, R&B and classic standards.

For an audition, call Cherilyn Moffett at (561) 670-7529. For more information about Soundtrax, visit www.soundtraxsingers.com.

Levi and Eli Muskal. Joshua Haik plays with a balloon monkey.

Carly Librizzi with some of the free balloons. Akiva Goldberg and Eran Nakar entertain.Kids scream as hundreds of balloons are tossed out.

Rabbi Mendy Muskal participates in a balloon game.

Eran Nakar and Rabbi Muskal prepare to read from the Book of Esther.

Rabbi Muskal leads the children in a game.

With the number of U.S. military casualties in Iraq now past the 4,000 mark, demonstrators gathered Tuesday at the intersection of State Road 7 and Forest Hill Blvd. in Wellington to bring light to the issue. The gathering came nearly a week after a peace vigil was held to acknowledge the fifth anniversary of the U.S. invasion of Iraq. Pictured here are Pat Renneisen and Janet Heisse.

PHOTO BY CAROL PORTER/TOWN-CRIER

Seminole Ridge Honor Society Seeks Computer Donations

Seminole Ridge High School

head custodian Tim Canty is working with the National Honor Society to help equip a community center in Jamaica with working computers. When completed, the center will be accessible to the entire community, offering computer workshops and services, Internet access, opportunities for student research and meeting space. Anyone who has used, working desktop or laptop computers or monitors, or the means to donate new equipment, may

Career Day

At Landings

Wellington Landings Middle School is planning a career day on Wedneday, April 23.

The event is an all-day affair running from 9:30 a.m. to 4 p.m. Teachers are seeking business owners or professsionals to make presentations about their occupations. The school will provide breakfast, lunch and snacks for the speakers.

Speakers will set up in the gym and every class will rotate through the gym as the day progresses.

Each of the approximately 1,100 students will receive a “passport” book. As they enter the gym they will visit the “careers,” take notes and then turn it in to be worked into the curriculum.

Those interested in participating should contact Mary Jo Shockley at (561) 762-1609 or e-mail mjhshock@aol.com so she can organize the gym area, give them information and meet speakers’ needs when setting up their tables.

RPBHS Health Occupation

Students Place

The Royal Palm Beach High School Health Occupation Students of America (HOSA) has several members who have placed at the Winter Leadership Conference and will now represent the school at state competition in Orlando from April 10 through 13.

Meagan Starr placed first in Interviewing Skills, Karla Clarke was second in Jobseeking

contact Canty or NHS sponsors Shawna Ahmad or Stacey Critchlow at (561) 422-2600. NHS students have already committed to donating nearly a dozen of their own used computers and laptops.

Hawk Wrestlers Earn County All-Conference — Palm Beach County wrestling coaches have honored a number of Seminole Ridge wrestlers as members of their all-conference teams. Congratulations to:

• First team all-conference: Lamark Blair, Will Jones, Roman Manuel, Blake Moorhead,

Skills, Amrita Gopaldas was third in Persuasive Researched Speaking, Davyn Hunter was first in Persuasive Speaking and Vanessa Bain was third. Clarissa Gauthier was fourth in Medical Math and Inshawn Siclait was third in Outstanding HOSA Chapter Scrapbook. For more information, call advisor Jennifer Briceno at (561) 753-4031.

Costa Rican Principal Visits

New Horizons

Charles Prince, principal of Lincoln School in San Jose, Costa Rica, visited several Palm Beach County schools from March 24 through March 27 to learn about some of the magnet programs and to visit the International Spanish Academy that is part of the School District’s dual language program. He was scheduled to meet with administrators and observe instruction at New Horizons Elementary School, Suncoast High School, Forest Hill High School and Conniston Middle School. Prince also was scheduled to meet with the district’s Multicultural Education Department and Educational Technology Department staff to exchange ideas about curriculum, instructional strategies, technology and other resources that could benefit students and staff both in South Florida and in Costa Rica. The visit is part of the district’s development of collaborations with international partners. For more information, contact global studies coordinator Edwin Arriela at (561) 9633855.

Dominic Servidio and Brandon Short;

• Second team all-conference: Bola Olafin, Michael Rathibhan and Austin Rodriguez. The wrestling team is coached by science teacher Frank Lasagna.

Hawks Soar in Flag Football — The girls flag football team had an amazing night recently, soaring to a triple victory against Palm Beach Central’s Broncos. The freshman team, led by coaches Sam Walker and Cathlene Riviera, won 7-6. The junior varsity team, under coach

Tammy Young, won by a safety, leaving the score at 2-0. The highlight of the night was the varsity team, led by coach Austin Bowe. Charlene Thome ran 25 yards to score, Kassie Tallon pulled three interceptions out of the sky, and Brianna Lauer completed a touchdown pass to Casey Salico in double overtime for a 16-15 victory. Winter Guard Takes the Silver — The SRHS marching band winter guard competed at the Santaluces Winter Guard Show held March 14-16. Seven guards from Palm Beach, Bro-

ward and Martin counties competed, and the Hawks performed well, coming in a close second to Monarch High School. The Broncos guard was four-tenths of a point behind them. Congratulations to Cierra Allen, Kellie Cochrane, Thamires Cordeiro, Cassey Enus, Breanna Garcia, Christina Karimi, Tena Perez, Jessica Pickering, J’Nae Poe, Sabrina Rochelin, Tori Thomas and Jessica Williams on their silver medals.

Tennis Teams Ace Matches — The Hawk tennis teams coached by social studies teach-

er Joe Rodriguez earned victories in recent matches against Royal Palm Beach and Glades Central high schools. The boys team now has a season record of 3-6. The girls team is 6-3 overall and 3-0 in district matches. Deadline for Checks — The Seminole Ridge end-of-year deadline for accepting personal checks is Friday, April 18. After that date, the school cannot accept personal checks. All personal payments to the school must be made in cash, bank check or money order.

Pierce Hammock Elementary School recently held a Jump Rope for Heart fundraiser for the American Heart Association and collected over $3,000. (Clockwise from above) Second grader Isabella Padilla from Alison Woodall’s class; fifth graders jump rope to fight against heart disease and stroke; third grader Kayla Bromhead enjoys a healthy snack provided by the PTO.

Deadline Nearing For Everglades Internship Applications

Outstanding college-level stu-

dents interested in careers in the environmental sciences have until Monday, March 31 to submit applications to the Arthur R. Marshall Foundation’s awardwinning Everglades internship.

The 11-week program provides students with a crash course in Everglades ecology and allows them to meet faceto-face with many of the decision makers involved in the multi-billion-dollar Comprehensive Everglades Restoration Plan.

The internship is designed for graduate students and upper-level undergraduates, said Marshall Foundation President and Internship Program Chair John Marshall.

“The program provides stu-

Poinciana Day School Hosts Party For Grandparents

Poinciana Day School celebrated its extended family on Friday, Feb. 22.

All classes, from kindergarten through eighth grades, prepared a musical and theatrical presentation to begin the day’s festivities. Special artwork for the occasion was on display throughout the school including colorful hearts with the names of all the grandparents. Invitations were mailed to all the grandparents. After the allschool presentation, the honored guests were invited back to the classrooms to share special activities and refreshments with the students.

“Poinciana Day School is a family-oriented school,” Head of School Nixie Swift said. “Grandparents Day gives us an opportunity to include our extended families in activities on campus. Their involvement adds a quality of richness to our environment.”

Poinciana Day School is an independent private school for students in kindergarten through eighth grade where “every student is an honored student.” The arts and technology are integrated throughout the curriculum where students flourish in classes.

dents with a multifaceted look at wetlands management that includes field trips to significant sites within the Everglades watershed, meetings with highranking officials in the water management industry and hands-on restoration activities,” he said, adding that graduates of the program have gone on to pursue advanced degrees in the environmental sciences and take advantage of other unique educational opportunities. Diana Aranda, a 2007 intern, is working on dual master’s degrees in coastal zone management and marine biology at Nova Southeastern University in Broward County. She hopes to one day start a non-profit organization dedicated to sustainable coastal management. Adam

Fox, who completed the internship in 2003, spent a year studying wetlands in Israel’s Hula Valley on a U.S. State Department Fulbright Grant.

The internship, which pays a stipend to participating students, is taught by Dr. Tom Poulson, a retired ecology professor with more than 30 years of experience as a science instructor at the University of Illinois, University of Notre Dame and Yale University. Poulson is one of many “senior mentors” who direct the interns throughout the summer. Others include political leaders and high-ranking, water management officials. Interested students should visit www.artmarshall.com/PDFs/ 2_8_2008_internapplication.doc to download an application. All

materials must be submitted to the Marshall Foundation by March 31. The program begins on May 23.

Founded in 1998, the Marshall Foundation has three goals; restoring original plant life and water flow patterns to the greater Everglades ecosystem, educating young people and the public about Everglades ecology, and delivering the message of restoration to as many people as possible through comprehensive public outreach programs.

In recent years, the Marshall Foundation has planted more than 88,000 native Florida trees in wetland areas, awarded over $250,000 in scholarships and internships, and involved more than 5,000 volunteers in hands-

For more information on the

www.artmarshall.org, call (561) 805-8733 or e-mail plantcypress @aol.com.

RPBHS Prom Set For May 10 At The International Polo Club

Royal Palm Beach High School’s junior/senior prom will take place Saturday, May 10 at the International Polo Club Palm Beach Grand Marquee in Wellington from 8 p.m. to midnight. Tickets, which cost $100 each, go on sale starting April 21 during lunch.

Students will receive a favor bag of giveaway prom items relating to the theme “Underwater Paradise” at the time of purchase.

In addition, Aaron’s Catering will be the official caterer featuring items such as chicken satay, spanikopita, crispy egg rolls, mini beef empanadas, Hawaiian meatballs, domestic cheeses and crackers, mango crab stacks, fresh fruit platter, jumbo Gulf shrimp cocktail, beef Wellington, coconut shrimp, and cinnamon fried cheesecake with white and dark chocolate fountains. There will also be a sushi station and coffee cart.

In addition, in order to make sure students are aware of proper dress attire, RPBHS and the junior class will host the annual Prom Fashion Show on Friday, April 18 during both lunches starting at 11:30 a.m. This is a free event for all students to come out and enjoy the show.

Vendors and sponsors that have contributed to the fashion show are Pamela’s Dresses in West Palm Beach, Mister Formal Wear in West Palm Beach and DJ Entertainment Connections. Because junior class officers and advisors know that without faculty and administration this event would not be possible, the Class of 2009 will kick off prom ticket sales with a faculty breakfast on April 24 at 7 a.m. in the cafeteria.

Western Academy Breakfast

March 29

Western Academy Charter School will hold a Safety Patrol Pancake breakfast on Saturday, March 29. All the proceeds benefit the Safety Patrol field trip. Tickets are $4. The breakfast hours are 8 to 11 a.m. Western Academy Charter School is located at 500 Royal Plaza Road, Suites F-K in Roy-

There will be door prizes, prom trivia, and important prom details discussed and shared at this event. Food for this event will also be provided by Aaron’s Catering. For more information about the Class of 2009 or the junior/ senior prom, contact junior class advisors Ms. Bell or Mrs. Briceno at (561) 753-4031 or via e-mail at nibbek@palmbeach. k12.fl.us or briceno@palm beach.k12.fl.us.

Panther Run Field Day Set

Panther Run Elementary School will hold its annual Survival Field Days March

Grandparents Day — Poinciana second grader Nelson Olaguibel and his grandmother Pilar Artiles, both of Wellington, enjoy time together during the 2007 event.

Eco Students — 2007 Marshall Foundation interns Diana Aranda, David Cox, Scott Holtz and Tina Richards. on restoration projects.

Marshall Foundation, visit

Ambassadors — (L-R) Tina Pugliese, Lorene Stone, Lynnette Rubano, Jonathan Meyers, Kate Rush, Kathy Tancig and Linda Cluney of the Families First Ambassador Committee.

Area Residents Join Families First Ambassador Committee

Families First of Palm Beach County hosted a reception in March for its newly formed Ambassador Committee.

Ten professionals from throughout Palm Beach County agreed to join the committee: Linda Cluney and Lorene Stone of West Palm Beach, Jonathan Meyers of Palm Beach Gardens, Tina Pugliese from Boynton Beach, Andrea Scigliano of Wellington, Claire Molinari and Devin Wagman of Delray Beach, Kathy Tancig and Kate Rush of Jupiter, and Lynnette Rubano of Loxahatchee. The committee was hosted by members of the Families First Board of Directors and staff.

Barbara Hollman Retires

Barbara Hollman of Loxahatchee, who worked as office manager of Stathmore Gate I in Royal Palm Beach for 26 years, was honored at a luncheon March 17 hosted by 70 of her appreciative unit owners.

Among those present were Past President Al Peckler, Past Vice President Stan Katz, Past Treasurer Sy Rosenberg and Past Secretary Fran Spiegel. Hollman was an extremely competent offfice manager, handling the accounting and financial systems for the association. In addition, she had one-on-one relationships with most of the 225 unit owners. When anyone needed help, she was always ready to provide it. She was “the one to call” when any problem arose. Preparations for the celebration were handled by Ed Graham, Sheila Macdermott and Sy Rosenberg.

Wundrack Completes

Navy Basic

Navy Reserve Seaman

Kathryn Wundrack, daughter of Ruth and Bruce Wundrack of Wellington, recently completed U.S. Navy basic training at Recruit Training Command in Great Lakes, Ill.

During the eight-week program, Wundrack completed a variety of training, which included classroom study and practical instruction on naval customs, first aid, firefighting,

“This is an important step for Families First. We are thrilled and honored to have them join the committee,” Executive Director Julie Swindler said. The purpose of the committee is to create awareness in the business community and to raise funds.

“The committee’s first task will be running our silent auction for the second annual Families First Children’s Day Award Luncheon, which will be held on Oct. 10,” Director of Communications and Development Peter Cambariere said. For more information about the committee, contact Cambariere at (561) 721-2887.

water safety and survival, and shipboard and aircraft safety. An emphasis was also placed on physical fitness.

The capstone event of boot camp is “Battle Stations.” This exercise gives recruits the skills and confidence they need to succeed in the fleet. “Battle Stations” is designed to galvanize the basic warrior attributes of sacrifice, dedication, teamwork and endurance in each recruit through the practical application of basic Navy skills and the core values of honor, courage and commitment.

Wundrack is a 2005 graduate of Wellington High School and a 2007 graduate of Florida Atlantic University, where she earned an associate’s degree.

Brenner On Babson College Dean’s List

Babson College has announced that David Brenner of Wellington has qualified for the fall 2007 semester dean’s list. Babson College in Wellesley, Mass. is recognized internationally as a leader in entrepreneurial management education. Babson grants bachelor’s degrees through its innovative undergraduate program and grants master’s of business administration and custom master’s of science and master’s of business administration degrees through the F.W. Olin Graduate School of Business at Babson College. Babson Executive Education offers executive development programs to experienced managers worldwide. For more information, visit www.babson.edu.

WHO’S NEW!

Chase Manton Galus — son of Shauna Kay Enders and Keith Manton Galus of Loxahatchee was born at Wellington Regional Medical Center on March 7.

Amanda Michelle Falzone — daughter of Barbara Lynn and Samuel Falzone of Wellington was born at Wellington Regional Medical Center on March 10.

Ja’Khari Elijha Collier son of Brooke Collier of Wellington was born at Wellington Regional Medical Center on March 10.

Blake Daniel Barry — son of Carrie and Ian Barry of Wellington was born at Wellington Regional Medical Center on March 10.

Ruben Barack Derisse son of Yadi and Voleile Derisse of Loxahatchee was born at Wellington Regional Medical Center on March 11.

Tayla Bose Dexter — daughter of Jullia Smith and Robert Dexter of Royal Palm Beach was born at Wellington Regional Medical Center on March 13.

Isabella Maria Prieto daughter of Jennifer Lynn Abaid and Anthony Prieto of Wellington was born at Wellington Regional Medical Center on March 12.

Bryce Mateo Valdespino son of Sissy and Ken Valdespino of Wellington was born at Wellington Regional Medical Center on March 14.

Gavin James Egert — son of Victoria and Jesse Egert of Loxahatchee was born at Wellington Regional Medical Center on March 14.

Shane Robert Gilligan

son of Kimberlee and Shawn Gilligan of Loxahatchee was born at Wellington Regional Medical Center on March 14. Jacobo David Rebolledo son of Jessica Solis and Cesar Rebolledo of Loxahatchee was born at Wellington Regional Medical Center on March 14. Ashlyn Megan and Lindsay Diara Nevarez — daughters of Elizabeth and Antonio Nevarez of Loxahatchee were born at Wellington Regional Medical Center on March 17. Camden Henry Romero son of Pamela and Henry Romero of Wellington was born at Wellington Regional Medical Center on March 17. Isabel Luisa Martinez daughter of Sonia Conceicas and Adam Martinez of Loxahatchee was born at Wellington Regional Medical Center on March 17.

Jailynn Audrey Spears daughter of Heidi Danaka Brufau and Jason Spears of Loxahatchee was born at Wellington Regional Medical Center on March 19.

Natalia Amelia Gomez daughter of Melissa Schott-Gomez and Dimitrov Gomez of Royal Palm Beach was born at Wellington Regional Medical Center on March 19. Jacob Carter Robbins son of Jennifer and Robert Robbins of Wellington was born at Wellington Regional Medical Center on March 21. Camilla Tina DiConza daughter of Zenia Echeverria and David DiConza of Wellington was born at Wellington Regional Medical Center on March 21.

Hanley Center Foundation Family Luncheon Raises $172,000

The Hanley Center Foundation held its 13th Annual Family Luncheon in February at the Palm Beach International Equestrian Center in Wellington. More than $172,000 was raised to support the Hanley Center’s work in substance abuse treatment and prevention programs, which teach adults, parents and children how to identify and stop substance abuse before it starts.

Proceeds also will support the center’s $14 million capital campaign. Phase one of the campaign was completed last November with the opening of the Hanley Resource Center, which houses all of the facility’s outpatient services, and the 1,800square-foot Jack C. Massey Serenity Bookstore and Café.

Nancy Hooker of Wellington and Robert Debbs of West Palm Beach served as co-chairs. Dinah Fulton served as vice chair.

More than 300 people attended this year’s luncheon, which featured the Kilkenny Internationale Cup and a host of activities for all ages including a silent auction just for kids, animals from McCarthy’s Wildlife Sanctuary, magician David Berardi, a young artist’s workshop and, the “big kids” silent auction featuring more than 100 items ranging from exotic getaways to jewels. This year’s luncheon honored Hanley Center supporters Lian Fanjul Azqueta and Lyanne Azqueta. For more information about the Hanley Center, call (561) 841-1000.

Temple Beth Zion Celebrates Purim

The Jewish holiday of Purim, which occurred last Thursday and Friday, was celebrated all week at Temple Beth Zion in Royal Palm Beach. Prior to the holiday, children in the preschool and religious school spent several weeks learning about the holiday and participating in activities. As part of the preschool celebration, Rabbi Bertram Kieffer presented an original puppet show. The children loved the show and enjoyed booing at every mention of evil Haman’s name.

Students in the temple’s religious school decorated macaroni groggers (noise makers), which were used to blot out Haman’s name when it was read from the Megillah (the scroll of Esther). The macaroni was then donated to a food bank, fulfill-

ing the mitzvah (commandment) of feeding the hungry. They also made and distributed “shalach manot,” packages of treats and cookies.

The entire congregation enjoyed Purim services on Thursday evening. The theme this year was “Doo Wop in Shushan.” Rabbi Kieffer wrote Purim parodies based on songs from the ’50s and ’60s, and most of the congregation dressed in costume. A carnival for the children followed. For the adults, a singalong featured nostalgic tunes that provided a great ending to the Purim celebration. The week culminated with the show “An Afternoon of Laughter and Song,” produced by the men’s club. It featured songstress/comedienne Barbara Brighton and funny man Frankie Man.

RPBHS Dancers Host Dinner Theater

The dancers from Royal Palm Beach High School, along with the Wildcat Dancers and TAPAZZ Dance Troupe, held their annual dinner theater on Tuesday, March 11 in the school’s cafeteria.

The show and routines were under the artistic direction of Michele Blecher. Dancers performed six routines from their upcoming show “Movin’ Out,” which will be performed Thursday, May 1 at 7 p.m. at RPBHS.

The audience dined on an American dinner of hot dogs, chips, drinks and dessert while they watched the dance performance. When the dancers were not performing, members of the audience danced to the tunes provided by SK the DJ. The night was a huge success and

“Just

6, “Scenes from an

TAPAZZ Dance Troupe, “Uptown Girl” Anyone who would like to purchase tickets for the May 1 show should call Blecher at (561) 792-8694. Tickets are $5 per ticket. Students attending RPBHS in 2008 may audition for the Wildcat dance team on Saturday, April 19 from 9 a.m. to noon in

Members of the Wildcats dance team.

Members of TAPAZZ (L-R, front) Jessica Ngo, Katelyn Webster, Alexa Blecher and Blithe Parsons; (back) Martin Hamilton, A.J. James and Josh Gonzalez.

The dancers wait to perform.

Hanley Luncheon — (Above) Oakley, Merrill, Olivia and luncheon co-chair Bobby Debbs. (Left) Co-chair Nancy Hooker of Wellington with her son Charlie.

Purim Service — Temple Beth Zion’s congregation enjoys the “Doo Wop in Shushan” Purim service last Thursday evening.

Wellington Models Hit The Runway To Benefit KidSanctuary

A crowd of 500 stylish guests collected at CityPlace on March 8 for the exciting Palm Beach Fashion Week finale. The highenergy event raised more than $15,000 for KidSanctuary, a non-profit organization that cares for abused, neglected and physically disabled children.

“We are so grateful for CityPlace’s support,” KidSanctuary CEO Barbara McMillin said. “They are a true community partner, and now for the second year, the funds raised at the fashion show will help us continue to provide the love, comfort and care for the children we serve until permanent homes can be found for them.”

The evening’s highlight was a dramatic, open-air runway show down the steps of the Harriet Himmel Theater that showcased the hottest seasonsl trends

and styles for CityPlace retailers. Virginia and Valentine from Wild 95.5 FM served as emcees for the fashion show.

Models included Wellington residents Alea Pietz, Tracy Darakis, Victor Malagon and Wellington High School grad Ashley Peacock.

Before and after the show, guests were invited to explore the property’s night of shopping and entertainment with DJs and a live band on the plaza, as well as special discounts and cocktails and hors d’oeuvres inside participating stores. Blue Martini hosted the event’s after-party. For more information about CityPlace, call (561) 366-1000 or visit www.cityplace.com. For more information about KidSanctuary, call McMillin at (561) 752-2226.

Easter — Girl

Troop 150 of Wellington recently held an Easter egg hunt and painting event for more than 30 children at the Osborne Community Center in Lake Worth.

Pictured here are (front row, L-R) Ashley Dupont, Taylor Molina, Alex Ingebritson, and Veronica, Jessica and Summer Marchsteiner; (back row) Ashley Gideos, coordinator Marla Gideos, Carolina Silva, Alexa Taylor, Lainie Shearouse, Danica Taylor, center volunteer “Shuffleboard Miss T,” Jenny Bermudez and Hikari Ally. PHOTO COURTESY CANDACE MARCHSTEINER

Boy Scouts To Host Talent Show May 4

Boy Scout Troop 111, in partnership with its chartered organization the Caribbean-Americans for Community Involvement (CAFCI), will be hosting a community dinner and talent show on Sunday, May 4 at 5 p.m. at the Royal Palm Beach Cultural Center. Individuals or groups wishing to participate in the talent show

should call Patty Cepeda at (561) 389-5567. Auditions will be held Saturday, April 12 by appointment only. Tickets for the event are available to the public for $10. This includes dinner and admission to the talent show. To purchase tickets, contact Amanda Pantone at (561) 793-4105 or mrspantone@aol.com.

Benacquisto Attends Marshall Foundation Luncheon

Wellington Councilwoman Lizbeth Benacquisto was one of 150 prominent community leaders who showed support for the Everglades at the Arthur R. Marshall Foundation’s Tenth Annual Anniversary Luncheon.

The luncheon, which took place March 7 at the Beach Club in Palm Beach, highlighted the need of future generations to have access to clean, affordable drinking water. Children took center stage at the event, which was hosted by the non-profit Arthur R. Marshall Foundation, an organization dedicated to preserving the Florida Everglades.

“We were so glad that notable civic leaders such as Ms. Benacquisto were able to join us to celebrate a decade of Everglades restoration,” Marshall Foundation Executive Director Josette Kaufman said. “We deeply appreciate her commitment to preserving South Florida’s precious natural resources.”

The event’s keynote speaker was internationally acclaimed environmental artist Betsy Damon, whose current eco-art project is the Olympic Forest Park Project in Beijing, China, which will be a part of the 2008 Olympics.

In addition to Damon’s fascinating presentation on eco-art, which combines art and science for the benefit of the environment, the fun-filled luncheon

included: a musical performance by Fiddleworks, a group of talented young violinists ages five to 10; a dance performance by Julia Adle, Alexandra Goldsmith and Sammi Schlechter, who all attend the Benjamin School and take lessons from Juilliard-trained instructor David Hedrick; and the awarding of a $17,000, all-electric ZENN car to raffle-winner Albert Hutzler III of Palm Beach.

WPEC-TV anchorman Curt Fonger served as master of ceremonies for the luncheon, which celebrated the Marshall Foundation’s decade-long fight for Everglades restoration. Prominent Palm Beach environmental leader Judy Schrafft chaired the luncheon.

Founded in 1998, the Marshall Foundation has three goals: restoring original plant life and water-flow patterns to the greater Everglades ecosystem, educating young people and the public about Everglades ecology, and delivering the message of restoration to as many people as possible through comprehensive public outreach programs.

The Marshall Foundation is based on the principles of Arthur R. Marshall (1919-1985).

Named “Conservationist of the Decade” in 1985 by the Florida National Wildlife Federation, Art Marshall was a nationally recognized conservationist and crusader for the Florida Everglades. He received the original funding for the foundation in 1982 from his friend and colleague Marjory Stoneman Douglas, the undisputed “First Lady of the Everglades.” Art’s nephew John Arthur Marshall heads the non-profit organization today.

In addition to the annual luncheon, the Marshall Foundation sponsors numerous free, ecofriendly events including an annual Cypress Harvest and up to six tree-planting events every spring throughout Palm Beach County. For more information about the Marshall Foundation, call (561) 805-8733 or visit www.artmarshall.org.

Alea Pietz

Tracy Darakis Ashley Peacock

Victor Malagon

Scouts

Scout

PHOTO COURTESY CORBY KAYE/STUDIO PALM BEACH

Wellington Councilwoman Lizbeth Benacquisto and FPL’s Carmine Priore III, also a Wellington resident, at the Marshall Foundation luncheon.

U.S. Open Polo Championship Gets Underway Sunday At IPC

The 2008 Stanford U.S. Open Polo Championship, polo’s top tournament in North America, is getting underway this weekend at the International Polo Club Palm Beach. The 26-goal tournament opens Sunday, March 30 and continues until the championships on Sunday, April 20. This year’s 12-team field promises to be one of the most competitive in the prestigious tournament’s 104-year history. The big question everyone is asking: with its new lineup, can Crab Orchard repeat as champion? Or will they be unseated by one of the North American Polo League (NAPL) teams such as Las Monjitas, which won in 2006; Bendabout (formerly Coca-Cola), which won in 2002; Isla Carroll, which won in 2004 and 1997; Skeeterville, which was runner-up in 2005; Lechuza Caracas, which was runner-up in 2003 and is the current British Open title holder; and Black Watch, which has been hunting for this title for years? Or will a United States Polo Association (USPA) team such as White Birch emerge victorious as they try to capture their second U.S. Open since winning in 2005? Others that have been close before are Orchard Hill, which was runner-up in 2006, 2002 and 2001, and Pony Express, which finished second in 1999. The field is rounded out by two newcomers to the competition: Audi, which had and excellent run in the USPA Piaget Gold Cup, and Zacara, which will have three seasoned veterans in Mike Azzaro, Carlos Gracida and Tommy Biddle. In 2007, Crab Orchard had George Rawlings, Adolfo Cambiaso, Matias

Magrini and David Stirling. This year, Magrini moved to a 10-goal handicap and David Stirling moved up to an eight. Both are now with Pony Express and will again try to unleash the onetwo punch that helped make Crab Orchard. Replacing them are nine-goaler

Nachi Heguy (who many say will be the next 10) and Jeff Blake, who is considered one of the strongest defensemen in the game. The Crab Orchard squad has been relatively quiet leading up to the tournament, and many expect they will unleash every secret weapon they have in the opening rounds. But Magrini and Stirling know their secrets, and with Nick Roldan (one of the game’s strongest young players) and Bob Daniels, Pony Express may be headed to the final.

Lechuza Caracas has dedicated itself to winning the U.S. Open by not playing anything but 26-goal polo tournaments this season. They have a special group of horses they have kept waiting for just this tournament. Team owner Victor Vargas has made a surprise move going into the U.S. Open by adding eight-goaler Sapo Caset, seven-goaler Guille Aguero and six-goaler Nicholas Espain. These three young aggressive players may be just what Vargas ordered when he planned to win the coveted title. In their first outing in the Butler Handicap, a preview to the U.S. Open, they scored 14 times while holding opponent Orchard Hill to just nine.

Las Monjitas is another team that has played only 26-goal polo. The team features three of the Astrada brothers (Eduardo, Javier and Nacho) grouped with Camilo Bautista. Many consider this the “smooth squad,” as their play

seems effortless. As Bautista said: “we are ready to fight.” And that may be just what they have to do. Isla Carroll has picked up rising polo star Facundo Pieres; Magoo LaPrida, who is still young and extremely athletic; Marcos di Paola, who can turn any play into a goal; and John Goodman, who knows how to captain a squad to victory. White Birch has made it to the finals four times since 1997, winning once in 2005. Man for man, this year’s team matches up well with Martin Aguerre, Lucas Monteverde, Mariano Aguerre and top-rated captain Peter Brant. Rounding out the field are the allAmerican foursome on Skeeterville: Will Johnston, Adam Snow, Julio Arellano and Owen Rinehart, who have dedicated this season to the memory of their former captain, the late Skeeter Johnston. They have led the national point standings with NAPL all year and have a good chance of picking up the $100,000 prize check with a good showing in the Open. In their way is Bendabout, is currently third in the standings and mounting Gillian Johnston, Alejandro Astrada, Miguel Astrada and Mariano Gonzalez as they work together to give Gillian her second U.S. Open title and first NAPL title. Audi is another team with a woman leading the attack. Melissa Ganzi has proven herself a real competitor on the field, and with Gonzalito Pieres, Juan Bolini and Paco de Narvaez, Audi made it to the semifinals of the C.V. Whitney Cup, but lost some momentum in the USPA Piaget Gold Cup. Black Watch has picked up Pablo MacDonough, who in 2007 sent the final game into

vate Wealth Management and Jack Shelton of the United States Polo Association.

overtime. He will be joined by his brother Matias MacDonough, also rated at nine goals, Nacho Figueras and captain Neil Hirsch. Orchard Hill has come to the finals party three times and been turned away each time. This year, captain Steve Van Andel has picked up Hector Galindo, Lucas Criado and Jeff Hall. If they continue to play as a strong team, Orchard Hill could

The ‘Sky’s The Limit’ At International Polo Club Ball April 4

The International Polo Club Palm Beach in Wellington is removing all boundaries for the “Sky’s the Limit” polo ball. Scheduled for Friday, April 4 at 7 p.m., the event is IPC’s biggest celebration of the year.

The Sky’s the Limit is the theme for this year’s ball, which coincides with polo’s U.S. Open and marks the end of the IPC’s winter polo season.

Marc and Melissa Ganzi, patrons of the Audi polo team, as well as equestrians Michele Grubb, Jack Saunders, and Cardie and Carol Saunders will be chairing this year’s celebration. “The Polo Ball will feature an interactive party experience highlighted with great music,”

Melissa Ganzi said. “It’s the biggest party of the year; I wouldn’t want anyone to miss this once-in-a-lifetime experience at International Polo.”

The event will include cocktails, dinner and dancing under the Grand Marquee, which will be transformed into Club Sky, a fantasy club featuring a party band, DJ and performers, including dancers, actors, costumes and surprises. Tickets are $300 and can be purchased by calling Kimberly at (561) 282-5333.

The International Polo Club Palm Beach is located at 3667 120th Avenue South. For more information on the club, call (561) 204-5687 or visit www. internationalpoloclub.com.

Last Year’s Winners — Crab Orchard team members raise the 2007 U.S. Open trophy. (L-R) IPC founder John Goodman, Santino Magrini, Matias Magrini, David Stirling Jr., Beverly Rawlings, tournament MVP Adolfo Cambiaso, George Rawlings, Jay Comeaux of title sponsor Stanford Pri-

PHOTOS COURTESY LILA PHOTO

Cardie and Carol Saunders, Michele Grubb, Jack Saunders and Mark Ganzi.

International Polo Club Palm Beach founder John Goodman with Tom Hughes and Melissa and Marc Ganzi.

Willhite Wellington Councilman

continued from page 1 years worked for Palm Beach County Fire-Rescue, and it was not a problem,” he said. “The people don’t think there is a problem. I don’t think there will be a problem.”

On Thursday, Coates told the Town-Crier that Willhite’s status as a firefighter was never an issue, but his activities for his politically powerful union are.

“I don’t have any problem at all with firefighters serving on the village council, but I do have some concern that a person who has been a lobbyist advocating politically and in a very significant way the issues affecting the union is now coming into local government deciding the same issues,” he said. “That’s something to me that cries out for close scrutiny by the citizens.”

Coates garnered 270 more votes than Willhite in the March 11 four-way race that sent them to the runoff. Willhite’s tally this week was exactly three votes less than the number he garnered in the election two weeks earlier, while Coates wound up 315 votes shorter in the runoff.

Coates said Willhite’s strong turnout demonstrates the power of his union. “In the runoff, he was able to marshal his troops to the voting booths better than I was, because they’re a very cohesive union,” he said. “So it

presents an unfortunate situation in these runoff elections, where special interests can wield a very significant amount of power. I think that all of us, not just me, but all of us Wellington residents need to make sure that at least from the standpoint of being up on that village council, the decisions be made for the betterment of all of Wellington and not any special interests.”

As of Thursday, Coates said he was still awaiting official election results, but did not expect any difference in the outcome despite some claims of irregularities by his supporters.

“We had several calls from people who said they had problems with the voting machines, that errors came up and their vote had not registered,” he said. “We’re at least corresponding with the supervisor of elections to see what that means, [but] I don’t have any illusion that the results would change… Until I see the official results, I don’t anticipate that I will.”

Coates said he intends to monitor village government very closely, but his main focus at present is returning to his normal routine with his Wellingtonbased legal practice.

“The campaign was very, very tough,” Coates said. “My hat’s off to Matt in terms of the campaign that he ran, but it’s asking a lot of a candidate who doesn’t bring to bear a union backing to get out and try to match something like that volunteer for volunteer.”

OPINION

Letters continued from page 4 monitor how many vehicles ran a red light. I was dismayed by the results. During the first month, an average of 50 cars a day ran the light. The number dropped to 20 the second month, following heavy publicity. Onefifth of those who ran a red light did so two seconds after the light had changed. This certainly demonstrated that the use of cameras would help cut down on red-light running and have a major impact on reducing preventable accidents, injuries and deaths. There would be fewer calls to Palm Beach County Fire-Rescue and the Palm Beach County Sheriff’s Office, and less demand on our overcrowded hospital emergency rooms.

I went back to the county commission and advocated for a law that would catch and fine red-light runners. As a result, the county made “traffic safety photo enforcement” a priority issue in 2001 and urged our legislators to amend the statutes to permit traffic tickets to be issued using photographic evidence produced by surveillance cameras. Other states have successfully implemented programs and proved that cameras at intersections do make a difference.

At Mounts Botanical Garden

Bills were introduced in 2004, 2005, 2006 and 2007 but no action was taken by the legislature. Bills have been filed for the 2008 legislative session. I have just returned from Tallahassee where I met with many legislators urging that the bills be considered and passed this year. The county has received encouraging news that we may be successful this time. I am optimistic but not convinced, and so I continue the battle. At my urging, the county commission approved placing an item on this month’s agenda to advertise for a public hearing this May. A proposed ordinance will come before the county commission that, if adopted, will authorize the use of unmanned camera/monitoring systems to promote compliance with red light directives and adopt a civil enforcement system with penalties and an appeal process for red light violations.

We have waited long enough. If the legislature does not pass the bills this year, we will be ready to act on a county level. It is time to win this battle. It is time for my eight-year crusade to come to an end. Burt Aaronson County Commissioner District 5

Join the Palm Beach County Cooperative Extension Service and Friends of the Mounts Botanical Garden for WaterPalooza, a water-wise expo in a beautiful garden setting. It will take place Saturday, April 5 from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. at Mounts Botanical Garden (559

Chamber New Officers

continued from page 5 cult to make a living. We have to do what we can to help out our business community.”

North Military Trail, West Palm Beach).

During this free familyfriendly event, you can learn how to use water wisely in your home and landscape as you visit 15 tent stations. For example, stop by the rain barrel tent to learn how to “Catch

Bowen said he was pleased at the response to chamber events during his tenure as president, such as a business expo at the National Horse Show and the annual springtime Flavors of Wellington. He expressed confidence that Mike Nelson, the incoming president, would continue the effort.

“We will continue to do these things to help the business community,” Bowen said. “I think there is still plenty left for Mike and the new board we will swear in. I am proud of the things we were able to accomplish, and I’m looking forward for us to continue with what we have done.”

After Bowen swore in the new board of directors, Nelson congratulated Mische, Bellissimo, Burton and Straub as shining lights in the equestrian industry.

“We’re honoring them as men of the year because of what they have done over the years to keep the equestrian industry alive in Wellington,” Nelson said.

For more about the Wellington Chamber of Commerce, call (561) 792-6525 or visit www.wellingtonchamber.com.

it While You Can,” check out the “Mulch Mania” tent for tips on retaining soil moisture, and visit with live animals at the “Water the Wildlife” station. You can also make your pledge to use water wisely at the “20-Gallon Challenge” station.

Do you want a rain barrel for your home? If so, sign up for the rain barrel workshop that will be held in the Mounts Building Auditorium. The cost is $35. This includes a onehour workshop, a rain barrel and fixtures. Pre-registration for the rain barrel workshop is

Rotary Tourney

May 2

continued from page 1 participation as possible,” he said. “I didn’t know the [Vazquez] family personally, but I know a lot of the firefighters. It’s sad, to say the least.”

Battalion Chief Nigel Baker noted that PBCFR Station 28, where Vazquez worked, serves the community at Madison Green, making it an even more appropriate site for the fundraiser. “He has quite a large family, and fundraisers like what they are doing out here are really excellent for the family, and it shows a lot of community spirit,” he said. “We appreciate that. He worked right here at Station 28, at the corner of Okeechobee and Royal Palm Beach Blvd.”

required, and space is limited. To register, call (561) 2331759.

Exhibitors will include Busch Wildlife Sanctuary, the Palm Beach County Chapter of the Florida Native Plant Society, lagoon keepers, master gardeners, master naturalists, master landscapers, Palm Beach County Environmental Resources Management, Palm Beach County Water Utilities, Palm Beach Zoo, South Florida Water Management District, Toro Sprinkler and the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers.

Lt. Eric Coleman, executive officer of the Palm Beach County Sheriff’s Office District 9 in Royal Palm Beach, said Vazquez had spent his life serving his community. “Lt. Vazquez served this community well and the Rotary Club is all about service above self,” Coleman said. “I think this is an opportunity to give back and show our appreciation for the sacrifices that were made by the family. The needs are great. We are trying to step up and do what we can do to help.” The Royal Palm Beach Rotary Golf Tournament is scheduled for Friday, May 2 at the Links at Madison Green, 2001 Crestwood

Howard Coates (center) awaits election results with wife Cheri, Spencer Gollahan (back) and brother Mike. PHOTOS BY CAROL PORTER AND RON BUKLEY/TOWN-CRIER

(Above) Artie Werkle and Jim Hernandez campaign for Matthew Willhite in front of the Wellington Community Center on Tuesday. (Below) Lisa Shields campaigns with Howard Coates, also at the community center Tuesday.

(Above) Matthew Willhite and Wellington Vice Mayor Bob Margolis monitor the poll results Wednesday night at the Gypsy’s Horse. (Left) Willhite embraces his mom Mary. (Below) State House candidate Mark Pafford, Willhite, Mayor Darell Bowen and Margolis at the victory celebration.

Marty Katz representing luncheon sponsor Moyle, Flanigan, Katz, Breton, White & Krasker, P.A.

CAFCI CELEBRATES EASTER

The Caribbean-Americans for Community Involvement (CAFCI) held their annual Easter picnic last Saturday at the Micanopy Pavilion at Okeeheelee Park. Music was provided by DJ VIN Elliott’s Soul Power, and there were games and raffles, prizes and surprises, pony rides, an egg hunt, bake sales and more. For more information about CAFCI, visit www.cafci.net.

HOLIDAY WITH PICNIC AT OKEEHEELEE PARK

CAFCI Board Member Ed Clarke, First Vice President Fred Pinto, President Amanayea Abraham, Recording Secretary Majorie Aiken and Board Member Henry Ferguson.

This year’s dominoes winners Picton Garnett and Milton Shirley.

Robert Simms does the limbo.

Fred Pinto, Tinu Pena and daughter Eleana, and Rhonda Ferrin-Davis.

Tiffany Moody, Amanayea Abraham and Tinu Pena.Youngsters dash to find the candy-filled Easter eggs.

Hoola hoopers Kayla Hepburn and Kelly Abigail.

Chef G (Lloyd Grant), Winsome Martin and Ernie Garvey.

Domino players Lawrence Logan, Mike Coleman, Picton Garnett, Paul Baker and Ron Abraham.

Camille Clarke with her dad Ed and Oscar the dog.

PHOTOS BY DENISE FLEISCHMAN/TOWN-CRIER

AN ‘EGGS-ELLENT’ TIME WAS HAD AT WELLINGTON’S ANNUAL EGG HUNT AT VILLAGE PARK

The Village of Wellington held its annual egg hunt for children ages one to ten on Saturday, March 22 at Village Park. Children were divided into four age groups for participation. On hand for the event were Wellington Village Council members and village staff, including Chris Stacy of the Leisure Services Department, who dressed as the Easter Bunny.

Coltin and Carsin Garcia Luana Desa

Kaitlin and Matthew Schwall

Danielle and Marisa TolandPeyton and Alayna Midcap

Charlotte Zottoli and her dad Anthony

Vice Mayor Bob Margolis, Mayor Darell Bowen and Councilwoman Lizbeth Benacquisto celebrate the holiday.

Chris Stacy and Ivy Rosenberg of the Leisure Services Department. Aryana BoodmanHannah DiMaiwat

Monica Schell and Abigail O’Donnell

Eva Massinino and her sister Mia with their mom Rebecca.

Ana Kuznik

My Freewheeling Travel Style Finds Skies Increasingly Bumpy

I am writing this from the Atlanta airport where my big-time plans to fly standby over Spring Break haven’t panned out so well.

Years ago — before 9/11, before jam-packed aircraft, even before I had wrinkles — hopping aboard an aircraft at the last minute was a kicky, fun thing to do.

“Where are you headed today?” the ticket agent would brightly ask, and “what’s a fun place?” would be my answer.

Then came security issues, financially strapped airline companies and the exorbitant cost of fuel.

So here I sit, with no “real” ticket and only one flight left that’s going where I want to go. I’ve been here since noon; it is now 8:30 p.m. To pass the time, I dawdled over lunch, primped worthlessly in the bathroom mirror and finally broke down and bought a 59-cent writing tablet — for the rock-bottom airport price of $2.13. Just a few years ago, things were nicer. Just a

Deborah Welky is The Sonic BOOMER

few years ago, my husband Mark and I decided to take a long weekend. We threw some clothes into a suitcase, drove to the airport and asked the ticket agent which cities we could fly to without the hassle of stopping and changing planes. At the time, those choices included Atlanta (seen it), Dallas (been there), Chicago (nah) and Boston (bingo!). Neither of us had been to Boston before, so Boston it was. Yet even back then I was evidently cursed.

We got on all right — no problem there. We even got seats in first class — cool! But just as they were warming up our eggs (remember eggs? — they were served in the days before pretzels), I looked out my window and was disturbed to see — no sun.

It was a bright, clear morning; we were seated on the right-hand side of the plane; we were heading north, so — where was the sun? It should’ve been streaming directly into my little oval window, illuminating my happily expectant face as I eagerly awaited delivery of my breakfast.

“Where’s the sun?” I asked Mark.

“It’s riiiiiiiight…,” he scanned the sky until he found it (across the aisle). “It’s right over there.”

“It’s rising in the west today?”

“Um, no.” He noticed the flight attendants putting away our eggs and closing up the galley. “We must’ve turned back. Hey, look down at the ocean! We’ve dumped our fuel!”

This is akin to shouting “fire!” in an airplane, whether you’re in first class or not. Every eye was on what appeared to be an oil slick far below. Then the captain’s voice came over with some lame excuse about landing gear that wouldn’t retract and having to return to the airport. I didn’t see where this was a problem. “Why don’t they just continue on to Boston? We’ll want the landing gear down anyway. And what does all this have to do with rescinding my eggs?” But that was in a simpler time, long ago and far away. Back then, we were simply assigned to another plane and continued on our merry way. Tonight, as I sit here in the airport, I would gladly forgo eggs, pretzels or even potentially hazardous Goobers to be on a plane — faulty landing gear or no. Wait a minute — I think they called my name! They did! They did call my name! (Hey, I take back what I said about faulty landing gear.) B’bye!

Plenty Of Demand For Court Jesters In Today’s Political Arena

Watching the production of Spamalot at the Kravis last week, I was reminded again of the power of silliness. The play, supposedly a takeoff on the myth of Camelot, actually just uses that as a framework to use laughs as a way to examine many of our more ridiculous beliefs.

The show itself is great fun, and the cast was great. But watching King Arthur (Gary Beach) trying to justify wartime recruiting to a pair of guardsmen who are more interested in coconuts and bird migrations, I was reminded of how ridiculous many governmental pretensions are. Following that was the spectacle of Arthur trying to explain the necessity of kings to a young member of an “anarco-syndicalist commune” who switched sides as soon as he was given some rank and became Sir Galahad (Ben Davis).

The Lady of the Lake (Esther Stilwell) managed to be in place at Camelot, which looked suspiciously like the Excalibur Hotel and Casino in Las Vegas, doing one bit as a lounge singer with a riff on “They tried to make me go to rehab.” Did it have anything to do with anything else in the plot? “No, no, no.”

‘I’ On CULTURE

By Leonard Wechsler

King Arthur and his brave knights run from a siege because they can’t deal with insults from the French. The second act does not have much story at all as Sir Robin (James Beaman) deals with problems of putting on musicals without Jews, and Sir Lancelot (Patrick Heusinger) finds a different sort of love, this time with Prince Herbert (Christopher Sutton) instead of Lady Guinevere. Halfway through the act, the Lady of the Lake interrupts the proceedings with a song demanding to know where her part went.

The musical was great fun, but the most important element to me was how it blows out all pretensions of government and its leaders. We take

things like that far too seriously, particularly in an election year. Caesar was called a god by some Romans, but as he received the acclaim of the mob, he had a slave whispering “thou art mortal” in his ear to remind him how fleeting is power. During the middle ages, kings had court fools, who had to dance along the line between making the king think and making the king want to kill them.

Today, we have comedians who are paid well to do that job and sometimes do it right. I particularly like the satire on Saturday Night Live, which loves to focus on the latest political news at the start of the show. Watching comedians purporting to be reporters running a debate between senators Clinton and Obama with news folk first praising Obama to the skies and then asking him questions like “how do you feel?” with a followup of “how do you really feel?” was funny precisely because some reporters had not been all that tough on him. Interestingly, questions to the senator got a lot tougher right after that, as they should have. Humor can bring some real attention to serious problems when arguing cannot.

Arguing whether the media is fair brings arguments. Watching satire brings laughter and, when done right, reexamination. All the candidates and all of those pretentious folk need someone to burst their balloon a bit. I often get the impression that they are most willing to fight over things few people care about and do it very well. Watching takeoffs on McCain’s age, Hillary’s lack of likeability and Obama’s constant pleasantness help us look more closely on them as people as well on the coverage they get. We need far more searching questions, and we certainly need more follow-ups. Frankly, I stopped watching the debates of candidates in both parties early on because the questions were either a) too predictable, b) obviously biased, c) lacked any follow-ups where a possible candidate was asked for specifics, or d) all of the above. Maybe we need debates run by comedy writers. Watching a candidate answer a question that is completely unexpected or perhaps obviously biased but certainly not serious might tell us more about candidates as people. And, on a more serious note, that’s exactly what we need.

The Economy’s Current Woes Can’t Halt My Wife’s Spending

From the end of February ’til the first week in April, it is the holiday season all over again at my house. During this time, we celebrate an anniversary and at least seven birthdays. My wife Sharon loves it because it gives her an excuse to go and shop (and spend) ’til she drops. In fact, she is at the mall doing just that as I write this column. And spend she does. She tells me it is much easier to navigate the stores this time of the year compared to the holiday season. She goes on to say most of the stores are empty, and she has them all to herself. I am so glad to hear this. I try to tell her the economy is falling apart. Interest on many bank accounts is down to two or three percent or less. Of course, none of this information puts a dent in my wife’s shopping. As I stand by my front door watching as she returns from another shopping adventure, my tears start falling. I have not made up my mind yet if

Wondering & Wandering

By Ernie Zimmerman

they are tears of joy or if am I really upset. It takes her at least four trips back and forth from the trunk of her car to unload her booty. I don’t dare help, because I am scared how I would react if I saw the prices of some of the items she bought. She tells me right to my face about the great bargains she has just acquired. Of course, I don’t believe a word. I will find out in a month or so when the bills arrive what all of this junk really cost me.

My wife feels I will be calm enough by the time the bill arrives to accept the credit charges without too much complaining. Her logic is that after I see the joy in the faces of all who got a gift from us, how could I possibly be angry about the cost? I hate to admit it, but she is correct. It works every year.

But this year, things are a little different in the gift-buying arena. The first birthday party of the season was for my twin grandsons Carter and Chandler. I found out I bought each of them a $125 pair of ice skates. I found myself reminding my wife we live in Florida. I also asked her why the twins couldn’t share a pair of skates. It was at this point I was informed even though they are twins, they have different shoe sizes (live and learn). I also found out she bought the other five grandkids presents so they wouldn’t feel like they were left out. She did the same thing at the other

five parties. She bought everyone presents. When I got wind of what my wife was doing, I tried to sit her down and talk Economics 101. But the more I talked, the more my wife spent. I tried to explain how low interest rates only help the rich, they don’t help folks like us. I tried telling her how much less we would be earning on our bank accounts this year. Her answer was, “you will pay less in income tax — be happy.” I asked her if she was going to contribute any money from her paycheck to help pay for all of these gifts. Once again I received the famous “Sharon look.” She didn’t have to say a word. So I hope Ronnie and Ashley, Brian, Carter, Chandler, Ali, Elaina, Diana and of course Jackson and the rest of the herd all enjoy their gifts. The only thing I enjoyed was mumbling to myself a couple of hundred times, “it’s the economy, stupid.”

FEATURES PLENTY OF EASTER FUN AT ACTS II EGG HUNT

Acts II Worship Center in Loxahatchee Groves hosted its community egg hunt “Eggstravaganza” on Saturday, March 22. Children ages two to 12 participated in the egg hunt, which featured a guest appearance by the Easter Bunny. Acts II is located at 13000 Okeechobee Blvd. For more info., call (561) 798-6695.

GEMS, JEWELRY AND MUCH MORE AT THE FAIRGROUNDS

Dealers from across America were on hand at the South Florida Fairgrounds last Saturday and Sunday for the Gem & Jewelry Show. In addition to the wide variety of gems, jewelry, crystal, minerals and beads for show and sale, rare minerals, giant shark’s teeth and fossils were on display.

for

PHOTOS BY CAROL PORTER/TOWN-CRIER

PHOTOS BY DENISE FLEISCHMAN/TOWN-CRIER

Susie Moncada looks at necklaces made by Jean Deruiter.

Eddie and Debbie Rucks with two-million-year-old fossilized clams with calcite mined in Fort Drum, N.Y.

Sandra Bolognia lays on a BioMat

stress relief.

Matt and Finn McNeil look over slices of rough-cut stone they will use to make jewelry.Dianne Milkey buys a bird statue from Claudette Smith.

Jane Levy picks out onyx at the Blue Fire booth.

Shannon Hill with some of his glass sea creatures.

Dominique Norbeck and Joshua Amos look over wood-carved skulls.

Craig Nesbitt of Fossil Warehouse with the fossils of a 50-million-year-old Wyoming fish.

Piper Hotson with a sizeable pile of eggs.

Jason Garced Jr. gets a hand during the adults.

Isabella and Gigi Huertas go hunting for eggs.

Avery Hopkins shows off the eggs he gathered.

The Easter Bunny helps out with the egg hunt.

March 28 - April 3, 2008

PURIM SPIEL AT TEMPLE BETH TORAH

Temple Beth Torah in Wellington held its annual Purim Spiel last Sunday inside the temple sanctuary. The event featured a re-enactment of the story of Purim, followed by a carnival. The spiel, or musical play, is an annual tradition at the temple. This year’s theme was based on the characters of Sesame Street, with characters derived from that show and adapted to the main characters of the Purim story — King Ahasuerus, Queen Esther, Haman and Mordechai. The Purim holiday recalls the fight for survival of the Jews of Persia under King Ahasuerus.

BY

NEW BEGINNINGS HOSTS EASTER EGG

New Beginnings Chapel offered plenty of Easter fun last Saturday with egg hunts every half hour, inflatables, music, prizes, story time and more. New Beginnings Chapel is located at 8431 Lake Worth Road, just west of Florida’s Turnpike. For more info., call Pastor Mike Arnone at (561) 967-3149 or visit www.nbchapel.com.

Mordechai (Mike Lebowitz) sings a song.

Queen Vashti (Randi Tessler) as Miss Piggy.

Stephanie and Ian Katz, and Jordyn Maybrown enjoy some cotton candy.

Good Earth Farm’s Nancy Fried-Tobin paints the faces of Jordana and Samantha Schube.

Ally Merritt with her mom Nikole.

Gert and Bernie (Melanie and Philip Levine) speculate about whether King Ahasuerus will marry a Jew.

HUNT

PHOTOS BY DENISE FLEISCHMAN/TOWN-CRIER

Katherine Elias wears a homemade Easter bonnet.

(Front row, L-R): Karissa Barden, Autumn Homer, Sarah Hacjimiry, Celeste Ufkin and Katie Arnone holding Hayden Ufkin; (back row): Dave Hartke, Pastor Mike Arnone, Nalline Baliram, Gina Springman and Mark Irons.

Hannah Hartke gathers eggs.

Jasmine Ford rides the bounce slide.

Angel Vega and Jordan Bray.Youngsters race to collect as many eggs as possible.

Susan Foley tells the children a story with help from “bunny” Kara Lovell.

West Summer Camp

• PLANET KIDS — Planet Kids is family-owned and operated with trained, experienced counselors all with First Aid/ CPR training. The camp has the coolest playground in town, continual learning programs in house, exciting field trips three days per week, hands-on science, educational outings, scrapbooking, cooking, swimming, roller skating, bowling, wildlife sanctuary visit, Jungle Queen cruise and more. Two separate camps are offered: Junior camp for ages 2 to 5 years and Super camp for ages 5 to 12 years. Planet Kids is open daily from 6:15 a.m. to 6:15 p.m., Monday through Friday at five convenient locations. See our ad for locations and phone numbers.

• SUMMIT CHRISTIAN SCHOOL — An independent nondenominational Christian school serving children from six weeks to 12th grade, Summit Christian School features exciting summer camps. Junior Camp (K through first grade) and Senior Camp (second grade through fifth grade) from June 9 through Aug. 1, from 7 a.m. to 6 p.m. Experienced SCS summer staff supervise children in daily devotions, field trips, arts and crafts, swimming, tennis, karate, lunch and much more. Early bird special: register your family before May 2 for $30 ($50 after May 2) and receive a free Tshirt. For more information, call (561) 686-8081, ext. 326 or visit www.summitchristian.com.

• ARMORY ART CENTER GET CREATIVE SUMMER ART CAMP — Jump Start for ages five to seven; Adventures in Art for ages eight to 11; and Studio Art Shops for teens (middle and high school students). An adventure in the visual arts for your young artist! Six sessions starting June 9. The center is located at 1700 Parker Ave., West Palm Beach. For more info., call (561) 832-1776 or visit www.armoryart.org.

• CASPEREY STABLES HORSE CAMP — Casperey Stables is a small, fun-filled day camp for children ages 7 to 14. With four riding opportunities each day, arts & crafts and outdoor games, our campers find little time to be bored. Our low counselor/child ratio ensures your child will receive individual attention. There are camp sessions for spring and winter school breaks, and during the summer, each two-week session has a theme, such as Indian Days, Circus Days and Medieval Days. We have a weekly swim party and end each session with a horse show and family BBQ! Call soon — this small, quality program fills quickly! To learn more about our camp, located at 2330 D Road in Loxahatchee Groves, call us at (561) 792-4990 or visit our web site at www.caspereystables.com.

• WELLINGTON SHOW STABLES “RIDING CAMP” — An introduction to the world of horses and ponies. Our summer program runs eight weeks in one-week sessions for all ages, five to seven and eight to 16. The camp provides safe school horses and ponies carefully matched to each rider. Your child will spend his or her day learning about horsemanship, including learning about feeding, grooming, proper care, riding and general veterinary care. We also include a classroom for arts and crafts, lectures and reading. We train the English style of riding, which includes learning how to jump based out of a large showing facility. We have been here for 20 years and have been training and teaching to a high quality, and we have trained many champions! To obtain a pre-class packet with registration forms, call Wellington Parks & Recreation at (561) 791-4005.

• TEMPLE BETH ZION PRESCHOOL & CAMP — A camp where children of all faiths learn and play together, offering a fun-filled summer program in a safe, loving environment. We have a strong academic program with small classes during the school year. Registration is now ongoing for fall sessions of religious school and preschool. We are located at 129 Sparrow Drive in Royal Palm Beach. For more information, call (561) 798-3737.

• BREAKERS WEST SUMMER CAMP — Offers something for everyone. Campers ages five to 14 are invited to join the Breakers West counselors for daily golf, tennis and swimming instruction, field trips, basketball, soccer, arts and crafts, magic shows, cooking classes, wildlife demonstrations, cookouts and more. Breakers West Summer Camp starts June 9 and runs through Aug. 15. Weekly sessions are $300 per camper, per week. Discounts are available to families registering multiple children and/or for multiple sessions. For more information, call (561) 6536333.

• VILLARI’S SUMMER CAMP — For the first time in 25 years, Villari’s of Wellington is pleased to announce a fullday, nine-week summer camp. After years of research and preparation, we have decided it is time to offer a camp tailored to developing the mental as well as physical skills of your child. Through stretching, strengthening and balancing the bodies and minds of our children, we open a world less intimidating, more interesting and less confusing to them. Let your child experience a summer full of fun, fitness and friends. Call (561) 792-1100 for more info.

TOWN-CRIER SPORTS & RECREATION

Seminole Ridge Baseball Boys Overcome Early-Season Woes

By Steve Pike Town-Crier Staff Report

A month ago, Seminole Ridge High School baseball coach

Trent Pendergast was almost dreading his team’s trip to the Anderson Bat National Classic in Anaheim, Calif. Despite returning eight starters from a team that won 15 games last season, the Hawks struggled on the field and nursed injuries in the early part of the season. They won just one of their first eight games.

But if Seminole Ridge continues to play as it did in its first two games in Anaheim, Pendergast might want not want to come home. Seminole Ridge got a three-run home run from Pat Lecroy to defeat El Dorado (Calif.) 6-3 on Tuesday night, the day after the Hawks topped host school Aptos (Calif.) 11-3.

“When you get some runs in the first inning, it always helps your momentum,” Pendergast told the Town-Crier. “We got the lead [against El Dorado] and it gave our pitcher [Corey Wax] some confidence that he didn’t have to be perfect. He threw strikes, our defense played well, and that was the ball game.”

Formerly known as the Phil Nevin National Classic, the tournament started Monday with five teams ranked in the national Top 25 by Baseball America magazine.

Seminole Ridge played a third California school, Orange Lutheran, Wednesday night. The Lancers went into the game ranked as the number-one team in Orange County by the Orange County Register newspaper and number 15 nationally by Baseball America. Seminole Ridge went into Wednesday’s game looking to become the second western communities team to win the National Classic in as many years. Palm Beach Central High School won the tournament last year. Unfortunately, the upset was not to be. Orange Lutheran won the game 16-11. But the fact that it was such a close game against a top national baseball powerhouse leaves Pendergast with high hopes for the future. “Nothing cures what is ailing you like a road trip,” Pendergast said. “We’re playing good baseball right now, doing the right things, and it has translated to success on the field.”

A victory over the pitchingrich Lancers (11-1) would have put the Hawks in the championship game at Cal State Fuller-

ton. The loss, however, could put the Hawks into an elimination game against a familiar foe — Jupiter High School. The Warriors, who lead District 9, lost their opening game 9-6 to Crespi (Calif.) on Monday but came back to defeat James River (Va.) 16-4 on Tuesday. Jupiter defeated Seminole Ridge 40 on March 18.

“At the beginning of the year we had a lot of injuries, and it was tough to get going,” Pendergast said. “But the kids have really worked hard each day and turned it around. We came out here and have just focused on baseball. We’re doing the fundamentals correctly, and it has paid off for us.”

In addition to Lecroy’s homer on Tuesday night, Alain Lamontagne drove in two runs, and Cody Buchanan added an RBI as the Hawks (6-9) won for the fourth time in six games. El Dorado defeated Calvert Hall of Baltimore 11-6 in its opening round game on Monday. Calvert Hall came into the tournament ranked number one in the nation by Baseball America On Monday against Aptos, Seminole Ridge scored ten runs in the first three innings and never looked back. The Hawks banged out 13 hits, including three from Peter Mooney and two from Lecroy, against a pair of Aptos pitchers. Seminole Ridge starter Steve Arvinitis earned the victory. The 11 runs against Aptos marked the Hawks’ highest offensive production of the season. Going into that game, Seminole Ridge had scored six or more runs in a game only twice — each of those being losses to Suncoast and Palm Beach Gar-

dens. The baseball schedules for Wellington, Royal Palm Beach and Palm Beach Central high schools were put a bit off kilter this week when the Newcastle (Pa.) High School team canceled games against each of the three schools because it could not leave the Northeast due to bad weather.

Palm Beach Central, which was scheduled to play Newcastle Monday, stopped its twogame losing streak with a comefrom-behind 6-5 victory over Wellington last Thursday. The Broncos (7-6) won the game with a pair of runs in the seventh and avenged a 7-0 loss to the Wolverines (8-4) two days earlier. Ryan Roberson drove in three runs for the Broncos, who snapped Wellington’s threegame winning streak.

The Wolverines were scheduled to play Newcastle on Tuesday night, but instead played Royal Palm Beach on Wednesday night — the night the Wildcats were scheduled to host Newcastle. In a close game, WHS slipped past RPBHS 2-1.

Royal Palm Beach (9-9) got its fourth victory in five games on Tuesday night with a 4-0 victory at West Boca. The Wildcats, as usual this season, won each of those games with pitching. Against West Boca, Royal Palm Beach starter Austin Perez and reliever Philip Davis combined on a three-hitter. Perez (5-0) went six innings for the win. Going into Wednesday’s game against Wellington, the Wildcats had given up only ten runs in their previous five games. Five of those runs came in a 5-2 loss to Palm Beach Gardens on March 20.

Lady Wolverines Top Jupiter

By Steve Pike

Town-Crier Staff Report

In softball action at Wellington High School on Tuesday night, the Lady Wolverines (117) came from a four-run deficit to upset district power Jupiter 86. Struggling to score runs the past few games and trailing the Lady Warriors 5-1 after five innings, Wellington scored seven runs in the final two innings for the victory.

The Lady Wolverines had been shut out in two their previous three games — a 6-0 loss to Dwyer last Tuesday and a 5-0 loss to Palm Beach Gardens last Monday. The victory against

Jupiter was fourth time this season the Lady Wolverines scored eight or more runs in a game. Wellington won each of those games. In Palm Beach Gardens on Monday, the host Lady Gators defeated Seminole Ridge 4-1. The Lady Hawks topped Palm Beach Lakes 17-0 last Thursday. Also on Monday, host Jupiter defeated Royal Palm Beach 2-0 to hand the Lady Wildcats their third consecutive loss. During that stretch, Royal Palm Beach (8-8) was outscored 173. RPBHS hosted Benjamin Wednesday, winning by a score of 9-3.

SRHS Girls Lacrosse Team Bests Palm Beach Central

By Lisa Keeney Town-Crier Staff Report

The Seminole Ridge High School girls lacrosse team defeated visiting Palm Beach Central High School on Tuesday afternoon 17-3.

Junior Jacque Eckles led the Hawks with five goals. SRHS senior Morgan Goebel scored four goals; junior Christina Taylor scored three goals; senior Jordan Holmes and Mary Marks each scored two goals; and senior Annie Anderson scored one goal.

Bronco senior Melissa Boulbol scored all three goals for Palm Beach Central.

The teams are now looking toward district playoff action, which begins Tuesday, April 1.

Seminole Ridge Tennis Teams Fall To Visiting Wellington Squads

to volley.

By Lisa Keeney

Staff Report

Hawk Allison Hewitt prepares to hit the ball.

Wolverine Sean Dargan won 8-0.

Jacque Eckles, who led the Hawks with five goals, tries to get by Bronco Stephanie Ramirez.

Hawk Megan Spielhaupter prepares

Wellington’s Shari English returns the ball.

Hawk Ryan Barnes chases down the ball. Wellington’s Ben Aqua won his match 8-4.

Palm Beach Central’s Deirdre Ruggeri holds onto the ball as Hawk Katia Canete defends.

Seminole Ridge’s Cassidy Yerkes passes the ball over a wall of PBCHS defenders.

Hawk Stephanie MacInnes and Morgan Harrison-Good of PBCHS chase the ball.

RPB Bassmasters Tourney On Lake O

The Royal Palm Beach Bassmasters held their monthly bass fishing tournament on March 16 out of Clewiston on Lake Okeechobee.

First place was awarded to the team of Walt Zajkowski (boater) with five fish weighing 13 lbs., 9 oz. and partner Jeff Helms (non-boater) with five fish weighing 9 lbs., 6 oz. for a total team weight of 22 lbs., 15 oz.

Second place went to Mike O’Connor (boater) with four fish weighing 7 lbs. and partner Jeff Todd (non-boater) with five fish weighing 7 lbs., 15 oz. for a total team weight of 14 lbs., 15 oz. Third place went to Shawn Lennon (boater) with five fish weighing 11 lbs., 5 oz. and part-

Mike

WCFL Players Chosen For Camp At UCF

Royal Palm Beach Bassmasters meetings are held on the second Thursday of each month at the Royal Palm Beach Recreation Center. Tournaments are held the following Sunday. Dues are $25 a year; tournament entry fees are $25 per person. For more information, call Irene at (561) 793-7081.

Todd ner Bill Davis (non-boater) with two fish weighing 2 lbs., 8 oz. for a total team weight of 13 lbs., 13 oz. The Big Fish winner for the tournament was Zajkowski with a fish weighing 4 lbs., 14 oz. The Individual Heaviest Weight first-place winner was also Zajkowski. Second place went to Lennon, and third went to Helms.

WCS Baseball Bests Lake Worth Christian

After encountering a 2-1 loss to Kings Academy and a 4-3 loss to Trinity Christian, the Wellington Christian School baseball team bounced back last week with two big wins over Lake Worth Christian School.

A pitchers’ duel took place on Tuesday with the game going deep into the sixth inning tied at 1-1 until Eagles’ lead-off hitter J.J. Salazar hit a triple to deep right center field. Joey Lelonek and Josh Frabitore would then follow with base hits as Wellington took a 3-1 lead.

Kevin Goff continued his dominance on the mound as he improved his personal record to 4-1 with an ERA of 0.29. However, Goff’s pitch count was at 74, and the team has a limit of 80. He was replaced by Dan Roselli, who came in and struck out three batters to nail down his second save.

Friday’s game found Lake Worth Christian visiting WCS for a rematch. The Eagles were

ready, though, as they pounded out 14 hits in a five-inning, tenrun rule, 11-1 win. Scott Roselli pitched the complete game, striking out eight and improving his pitching record to 3-1 with an ERA of 0.54. WCS came out on fire in the first inning as they exploded for five runs on seven hits and never looked back. Three doubles in a row by Goff, Scott Roselli and Dyllon Fabbri set the stage for the 14-hit attack for the day by the Eagles.

“We’re at the midway point in the season and our bats are just starting to come alive,” Coach Mike Drahos said. “We have been relying on our pitching up to this point, but if our bats stay hot, this could be an interesting finish to the season.”

The Eagles were at home this week against district rival Morningside Academy before a rematch against Benjamin on Friday.

Two young players from the Western Communities Football League (WCFL) recently attended the prestigious, inviteonly Air 7 Quarterback University Football Camp held at the University of Central Florida in Orlando. Niko Brunelas, an Emerald Cove Middle School student, and A.J. Pasquale, who attends King’s Academy, were 2007 WCFL All-Star nominees and were the only two youth football quarterbacks representing Palm Beach County in their age group. Brunelas and Pasquale were mentored by 21-year NFL veteran Steve DeBerg, as well as current Dallas Cowboys quarterback Richard Bartel. The WCFL, founded in 1992, is part of the Orange Bowl Youth

and April

Jeff HelmsWalt Zajkowski

O’ConnorJeff

Quarterback University — A.J. Pasquale and Niko Brunelas

with Dallas Cowboys quarterback Richard Bartel.

Niko Brunelas gets pointers from Bartel.

COMMUNIT Y CALENDAR

Saturday, March 29

• The 2008 CN Winter Equestrian Festival continues at the Palm Beach International Equestrian Center (14440 Pierson Road, Wellington). For info., visit www.equestrian sport.com or call (561) 7935867.

• Israeli Art Month at the Armory Art Center (1700 Parker Ave., West Palm Beach) continues through April 5 featuring unique works created by leading Israeli fiber artists, artist-led workshops, lectures and more. For more info., call (561) 832-1776 or visit www.armory art.org.

• The Sixth Annual BarrettJackson Collector Car Event will continue Saturday and Sunday, March 29 and 30 at the Americraft Expo Center at the South Florida Fairgrounds. The event will feature eight vehicles from the award-winning HBO series The Sopranos. Proceeds will benefit Children’s Hospital Los Angeles. For more info., visit www.barrett-jackson. com or call (480) 421-6694.

• The American Association of Kidney Patients will host its second annual Walk in the Park on Saturday, March 29 at John Prince Park in Lake Worth. Registration begins at 8 a.m. at the Smythe Pavilion; the walk begins at 9 a.m. The cost is $15 for adults and $10 for children 12 and under; Tshirt included. For more info., contact Stacy Nussbaum at godfry@palmbeach.k12.fl.us. For more about the association, visit www.aakp.org.

• The Peggy Adams Animal Rescue League will hold the Seventh Annual Barry Crown Walk for the Animals on Saturday, March 29 from 8 a.m. to 2 p.m. at the Micanopy Pavilion at Okeeheelee Park (7715 Forest Hill Blvd.). Proceeds will support the low-cost spay and neuter program. Registration fees are $25 for adults and $10 for children ages six to 16. People can register to walk online at www. hspb.org or on the day of the event. Call (561) 686-3663 for more information.

• Cruzan Amphitheatre at the South Florida Fairgrounds will host a Job Fair on Saturday, March 29 from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. to recruit new employees at the venue for its upcoming season. The amphitheatre is currently hiring event staff, ticket takers and parking crew. A photo ID is required. Anyone over the age of 18 is welcome to attend. For more info., call (561) 795-8883.

• The Funniest Night in Royal Palm Beach, an evening of standup comedy from some of South Florida’s top entertainers, will take place Saturday, March 29, 7 p.m. at the Royal Palm Beach Cultural Center (151 Civic Center Way). Tickets are available in advance for $10 or $15 the night of the performance. For more info., call (561) 790-5149.

• The Your Bosom Buddies II Second Annual Pink Ribbon Gala will be held at the Wanderers Club of Wellington (1900 Aero Club Dr.) on Saturday, March 29 starting at 7 p.m. The evening will include a seated dinner with a silent auction and dancing. Money raised will help cancer buddies in need. For info., call Abbe Felton at (561) 422-6034.

• The St. Therese de Lisieux Catholic Church Building Fund’s Spring Fling will be held Saturday, March 29 at the Wycliffe Golf & Country Club. Money raised will go toward purchasing the church’s pews. For more info., call Loodie Alonso at (561) 795-9358.

Sunday, March 30

• The 2008 polo season will continue Sunday, March 30 at the International Polo Club Palm Beach (3667 120th Avenue South, Wellington) with the start of the 26-goal Stanford Financial U.S. Open Polo Championships , polo’s top tournament in the United States. U.S. Open play will continue until Sunday, April 20. For info., call (561) 204-5687 or visit www.internationalpolo club.com.

Monday, March 31

• In honor of April Fool’s Day, the Wellington Toastmasters Club will hold their first-ever backward meeting on Monday, March 31 at 6:30 p.m. at the Bamboo Club restaurant in the Mall at Wellington Green. Evaluations will actually be given before the speech, leading to many a humorous moment. For more info., call Chapter President Myrna Brooks at (561) 628-4635. Tuesday, April 1

• The Wellington Parks & Recreation Department will host the Super Stars Program for special-needs children Tuesdays from April 1 through May 27. Coach Yale David will

introduce children in kindergarten through the fifth grade to a wide variety of sports. Classes are held from 3 to 3:45 p.m. at Village Park and cost $111 for residents and $138.75 for non-residents. For more info., call Julie Strow at (561) 753-5262.

Thursday, April 3

• The Wellington Parks & Recreation Department will host Basketball Clinics for special-needs children Thursdays from April 3 through May 29. Coach Yale David will lead the program, which is for children in kindergarten through the fifth grade. Classes are held from 3 to 3:45 p.m. at Village Park and cost $111 for residents and $138.75 for non-residents. For info., call Julie Strow at (561) 753-5262.

• The Wellington library (1951 Royal Fern Drive) will hold Teen Talent Show auditions Thursday, April 3 at 6:30 p.m. for ages 12 through 17. To participate in the April 10 Talent Show, you must attend the auditions. Bring all props, supplies and costumes. To preregister, call (561) 790-6070. Friday, April 4

• The 2008 Palm Beach International Sculpture Biennale, hosted by the Cultural Trust of the Palm Beaches, will take place Friday, April 4 to Sunday, April 6 featuring larger-than-life sculptures by artists from around the globe. The show will be open daily from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. at the Cultural Trust site with guided tours and self-touring maps of the grounds. For more info., call (561) 333-4948.

• On Friday, April 4 from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m., Seminole Ridge High School will hold its inaugural Career Fair Day . The school is seeking business organizations to hold mock interviews with students interested in a particular field. For more information, or for an application, call John Walker at (561) 422-2600.

• The West Palm Beach Antique & Collectibles Show will take place Friday, April 4 to Sunday, April 6 at the South Florida Fairgrounds Americraft Expo Center (9067 Southern Blvd.). Admission is $6.50 for adults, $5.50 for seniors, free for children under 12, and $11 for a multi-day pass, available Friday and Saturday. For more info., call (561) 640-3433 or visit www.wpbantiques.com.

Saturday, April 5

• A Gun Show will be held at the South Florida Fairgrounds Expo Center (9067 Southern Blvd.) on Saturday and Sunday, April 5 and 6. The show features a wide collection of guns, ammo, knives, hunting supplies and accessories. Hours are 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturday and 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Sunday. For info., call (561) 793-0333.

Monday, April 7

• Registration is now available for the Spring Break Camp for children ages eight to 13 at the Wellington Aquatics Complex. The camp will run Monday through Friday, April 711 from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. Campers will enjoy lessons in kayaking, snorkeling and swimming, as well as excursions to the Everglades, Okeeheelee Nature Center and Lion Country Safari. The cost is $200 per child. Space is limited. Basic swimming skills required. For more info., call (561) 7532484, ext. 2836.

Wednesday, April 9

• Patrons of the California Pizza Kitchen in the Mall at Wellington Green will have an opportunity to support Jewish Adoption and Foster Care Options (JAFCO) on Wednesday, April 9. Twenty percent of purchases from 11 a.m. to closing will be donated to JAFCO, a nonprofit child-welfare agency serving 350 abused and neglected children in South Florida. For more info., call Stacy Chertock at (561) 385-1710.

• The Wellington library (1951 Royal Fern Drive) will present Socrates Café on Wednesday, April 9 at 6 p.m. Marji Chapman will lead a discussion on a variety of thoughtprovoking subjects such as friendship, life’s purpose and more. To pre-register, call (561) 790-6070.

Thursday, April 10

• The Wellington library (1951 Royal Fern Drive) will hold a Teen Talent Show on Thursday, April 10 at 6:30 p.m. Enjoy an evening of entertainment from teenagers in the community who will sing, dance, play instruments and more. Call (561) 790-6070 for more info.

Send calendar items to: Town-Crier, 12794 W. Forest Hill Blvd., Suite 31, Wellington, FL 33414. FAX: (561) 7936090. E-mail: news@gotown crier.com.

Palms West Funeral Home: Ready To Help Area Families In Need

By Ron Bukley

Town-Crier Staff Report

Palms West Funeral Home and Crematory in Royal Palm Beach has been in business for 12 years and is one of the few remaining family-owned mortuaries in Palm Beach County.

“We are about the only one in the western communities. Most are owned by large corporations now,” said Julian Almeida, vice president and one of the founders of the funeral home along with Senior Partner Wally Hickman and his son Wallace Hickman.

Almeida said the family nature of the business is important in providing compassionate service to families going through a difficult time.

“As a family funeral home, we try to do what basically has been done for many years in the funeral business,” he said. “All the remains are prepared inhouse. The owners or one of the directors answer the phone 24 hours a day, seven days a week. We try to have our funeral directors who are serving our families see to them the entire funeral.”

Funeral Director Michael Angotti said the funeral home also has its own crematory.

“Most [area] cremations are done in a warehouse in Fort Lauderdale,” he said. “Here, people never leave our care. We own a crematorium, and all remains are prepared in-house.”

Palms West is “family” in a broader sense. Most of the staff of five funeral directors comes from a family of local funeral homes with a long history in the community.

The Hickmans are former

owners of the Dorsey Funeral Home, a well-known mortuary in the central Palm Beach county area. Funeral Director Judith Brookshire was one of the founders of the Mack Stephenson Funeral Home in Lantana. A funeral director since 1975, she was the first female funeral director in Palm Beach County. She is the wife of the Rev. Richard Brookshire, retired from Victory Baptist Church in West Palm Beach.

Funeral Director Kyle Smith is the grandson of E. Earl Smith, the founder of E. Earl Smith Funeral Home. Tom Bennett has been working as a funeral director in Palm Beach County since the 1980s.

Almeida has been a funeral director in the area since 1972, and before coming to Palms West was the area manager for Service Corporation International, which owns eight funeral homes in the area. Almeida and Judy Brookshire both are past presidents of the Funeral Directors Association of Palm Beach County.

Angotti is a founding member of state and federal mortuary disaster response teams. A native of New Jersey, he said he became involved with mortuary emergency response in the wake of the September 2001 terrorist attacks. He was also part of a team that went to Mississippi in the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina to identify the bodies of storm victims.

Angotti is a team leader for the Florida Emergency Mortuary Operational Response Team (FEMORS) and the federal government’s Disaster Mortuary Operational Re-

sponse Team, which respond to disasters across the nation. He said FEMORS is one of the foremost mortuary response teams in the nation, and the programs of many other states are modeled after it.

Palms West is non-denominational and open to all faiths, races and nationalities. The main chapel can accommodate more than 275 visitors. Another sanctuary on the second floor can hold 100 visitors, and a small visitation room holds about 25 guests.

During business hours, one of the five funeral directors on staff answers the phone, Almeida said, and a bereaved family deals with one director through the entire funeral process. The staff at the funeral home also tries to work within the limits of a family’s budget, he said.

Palms West is also fully prepared to offer international transportation of a deceased’s remains, Almeida said. Another thing that sets the funeral home apart is that it provides services for the Palm Beach County Department of Human Services that the large corporations will not do, he said. “We are on the list for indigent veterans at the VA Hospital,” he said. “What it costs for a service, the VA will not cover.”

Palms West also offers internships for mortuary science students, he said.

Palms West Funeral Home and Crematory is located at 110 Business Parkway in Royal Palm Beach and is open seven days a week from 8:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. For more information, call (561) 753-6004 or visit www. palmswestfuneralhome.com.

PHOTO BY RON BUKLEY/TOWN-CRIER

Community Funeral Home — Palms West Funeral Home directors Michael C. Angotti, Judith

Brookshire and Julian Almeida.

Located in the Mall at Wellington Green, on the lower level near Dillard’s department store, Ma Chérie d’Amour is a new French lingerie and beauty store that celebrated the arrival of spring by hosting a ribbon-cutting ceremony with the Palms West Chamber of Commerce. Ma Chérie d’Amour offers a large selection of exclusive French lingerie, swimwear, sleepwear, skin care lines, and bath and body products. All products are exclusively imported from France, and are available for the first time in the United States. For more information about Ma Chérie d’Amour, call Deborah Yonezawa at (561) 333-0140 or visit the company’s web site at www. macheriedamour.cm. Pictured above is Yonezawa with Cathy Potenziani, Frederic Siviglia and Palms West Chamber of Commerce ambassadors.

Cruzan Amphitheatre

Job Fair This Saturday

On Saturday, March 29, Cruzan Amphitheatre at the South Florida Fairgrounds will host a job fair to recruit new employees at the venue for its upcoming season. The event will take place from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. During these hours, people interested in applying for jobs are invited to come to the facility, meet with current employees and management, and learn more about the amphitheater.

Cruzan Amphitheatre is currently hiring for the following positions: event staff, ticket-takers and parking crew. Cruzan Amphitheatre offers positions with flexible hours, competitive pay and is a great part-time job. Applicants can expect to learn about the history of the facility,

descriptions of the various positions available and the benefits of being a member of the Cruzan team.

To gain entry to the job fair, enter the amphitheatre just to the right of the box office through the VIP gate. A photo ID is required. Anyone over the age of 18 is welcome to attend. For more information regarding this Saturday’s job fair, call (561) 795-8883. Cruzan Amphitheatre, a Live Nation venue, is an equal opportunity employer.

Send business news items to: The Town-Crier Newspaper, 12794 W. Forest Hill Blvd., Suite 31, Wellington, FL 33414. Fax: (561) 793-6090. E-mail: news@goTownCrier.com.

FedEx Kinko’s Opens In Royal Palm Beach

The FedEx Kinko’s office and print center recently joined the Palms West Chamber of Commerce to celebrate the grand opening of its first location in Royal Palm Beach. The new center features a smaller center design format that has a greater emphasis on office products and other services designed to better meet the needs of small businesses and mobile professionals.

The new Royal Palm Beach FedEx Kinko’s center is putting success within reach for local customers by providing easy access to services that help customers present a polished, professional image at meetings, close a deal with impressive business materials, or bring in new business through the use of effective signs and direct mailings.

The new Royal Palm Beach center joins a global network of more than 1,900 digitally connected locations in 11 countries. FedEx Kinko’s offers access to copying and digital printing (including color), professional finishing, document creation, Internet access, computer rentals, video conferencing, signs and graphics, notary, direct mail, office products, web-based printing, and the full range of FedEx daydefinite ground shipping and time-definite global express shipping services.

Kinko’s

a one-stop shop for small businesses and mobile professionals, complementing its standard services and offerings with the new center format and enhanced office product selection.

The new RPB FedEx Kinko’s office and print center is

Equestrians’ Preservation Society On Hiatus

The Equestrians’ Preservation Society recently announced that it would go into hiatus.

“This is a period of peace in the equestrian world,” Executive Director Janixx Parisi said. “The general consensus is to stand down.”

The Equestrians’ Preservation Society’s stated purpose is the advancement of equestrian sports and the preservation, enhancement, growth and protection of equestrian centers nationally.

Dr. Salvatore LaRusso of Wellington was elected March 8 by the National Board of Chiropractic Examiners (NBCE) to fill a vacancy in the role of director-at-large. The vacancy was created by the death of Dr. Earl Wiley, who passed away in November 2007.

Dr. LaRusso will complete Dr. Wiley’s term, which will end in May 2009. At that time, Dr. LaRusso will be eligible for re-election. Dr. LaRusso is a graduate of New York Chiropractic College and obtained his under-

Founder and president Jean Goutal said he feels confident that Wellington’s new horse show facility is progressing very well. “We stood behind [Wellington Equestrian Partners] as it endeavored to secure the horse show; we stand beside them now in their period of growth,” Goutal said.

Parisi has happily returned to her core business of aviation asset management in the worldwide marketplace.

“As a Wellington resident and one who understands the complexities of the equestrian population, I will no doubt be involved as the horse show and community continues to grow and prosper,” she said. “As the operators, WEP is in a better place to fund and organize a charitable organization. When the time comes for a museum and a riding school for underprivileged children, I feel confident that this group will come to the fore.”

Dr. Salvatore LaRusso Elected To NBCE Board

graduate degree in business administration from Seton Hall University. He has been active in many international, national, state and local organizations. In 1998, Dr. LaRusso was a gubernatorial appointee to the Florida Board of Chiropractic Medicine, serving as board chair in 2005, 2006 and 2007. Since 2005, he has served as chairman of the Florida Board’s Certified Chiropractic Physicians Assistant Committee.

Dr. LaRusso is a long-standing member of both the Florida Chiropractic Association

and the Florida Chiropractic Society (FCS), serving as president of the FCS in 1992-93 and chairman from 1993-97. The FCS named Dr. LaRusso Chiropractor of the Year in 1994, awarded him the Gavel Award in 1993 and honored him for distinguished service to the FCS in 1992.

Headquartered in Greeley, Colo., the NBCE is the inter-

national testing organization for the chiropractic profession. Established in 1963, the NBCE develops, administers and scores legally defensible, standardized written and practical examinations for candidates seeking chiropractic licensure throughout the United States and in many foreign countries. For more information, visit www.nbce.org.

Dr. LaRusso

FedEx Kinko’s RPB staff with Palms West Chamber of Commerce ambassadors.

Foreclosure Solutions Wants To Help You Keep Your Home

By Steve Pike Town-Crier Staff Report

In these tough economic times, it helps to have someone on your side.

Vince DiNapoli is such a man. A 22year veteran of the mortgage industry, DiNapoli opened Foreclosure Solutions in West Palm Beach in January. A resident of The Acreage, DiNapoli specializes in helping people find ways of staying in their homes at a time when it seems more people are losing their homes to foreclosure.

“Anyone in foreclosure or who feels they’re going to go into foreclosure, if they want to stay in their home, we try to get them a modification or a lower fixed rate,” DiNapoli explained. “If they want to get out of their home, we help them with short sales.”

DiNapoli feels his customers’ pain. He closed his own mortgage company Residential Trust earlier this month because of the tough times in the housing market. DiNapoli said he decided to go strictly with Foreclosure Solutions because through Residential Trust he had already helped many of his customers in need of assistance.

DiNapoli said he takes a non-refundable deposit, usually between $100 and $200, and if he succeeds in resolving the mortgage issue between the client and lender, the client pays the remainder of the fee, which generally totals around $750.

“If we don’t get the modification done for them, then we don’t collect any more money,” DiNapoli said.

DiNapoli said he averages between five and ten calls daily from people seeking mortgage modifications, and usually sees three to five people each week.

Dinapoli said both property owners and mortgage providers find themselves in Catch-22 situations these days.

“It has been very difficult,” he said. “I’ve gone to closings and found that the lender has gone out of business and couldn’t fund the loan.”

Put it in the category of “Bad Things Happen to Good People,” which unfortunately seems to be the case most often.

“I see a lot of that these days,” DiNapoli said. “A lot of people got into a low adjustable rate that was fixed for two years and were planning on refinancing after the two years. Now they’re stuck because they lost all their equity and they can’t refinance. And they only had enough income for the lower rate. One man I did had

perfect credit. His income wasn’t going to go up — but the rate was going to go up drastically. I got him a low fixed rate — five percent. Normally I’ve been getting people in for between six and six-and-a-half percent. Their rates were going to go into the tens.”

DiNapoli said that to get the process started, he helps the client gather all the proper paperwork, including writing a hardship letter, and then presents all the paperwork to the lender.

“Different lenders use different timeframes to respond,” DiNapoli said. “I did one that took about three weeks. Some lenders will tell you between three and four months. It depends on the size of the lender and how fast they are.”

Most lenders are willing to work with the client in regard to a modification, DiNapoli said, but at the same time they’re also becoming stricter in terms of a new mortgage modification.

“They can’t touch the term of the loan, but they can touch the rate. And some of them are doing five-year modifications. The person has to refinance after that,” DiNapoli said. “I like helping people. I get people from Wellington, Lake Worth, all over. I get people with small mortgages and big mortgages.”

DiNapoli said his success rate in getting some kind of modification for his clients is running at approximately 95 percent.

“If there is something out of the ordinary, for example where people just aren’t working, that’s where the trouble is,” DiNapoli pointed out. “You still have to have an income. And the lender likes to see that you couldn’t make the payment because the rate went up, not because your income decreased.”

While most people want to stay in their homes, DiNapoli said others simply are tired of fighting and want out.

“I have one guy who is upside down and can’t take it anymore,” DiNapoli said. “He wants to do a short sale and try to help his credit.”

Speaking of credit, DiNapoli said a good credit rating can sometimes work against someone looking for modification. “A lot of lenders won’t do a modification unless you’re behind,” he said.

Foreclosure Solutions is located in the Harvey Building at 224 Datura Street, Suite 505, in downtown West Palm Beach. For more information, call (561) 301-3722.

PALMS WEST CHAMBER OF COMMERCE WELCOMES VIBE FITNESS IN WELLINGTON

Vibe Fitness in Wellington is a personal training facility with flair. Vibe’s patented Power Plate is the premium vibration device powering a new dimension in wellness solutions for all ages, lifestyles and physical abilities. It uses the principles of acceleration training to stimulate the body’s natural response to vibration. Other services Vibe offers include kick-boxing, free-weight training, and elliptical and treadmill machines.

Sho Clothes Holds Grand Opening Of New ‘Sho Room’ In Wellington

Sho Clothes recently opened its new “Sho Room” location in Wellington with patrons and friends coming from far and near to celebrate the opening night. The Sho Room, located in the Taj Majal building at 3220 Fairlane Farms Road, was teeming with well-wishers until the late hours of the evening.

A martini bar and hors d’ouvres kept everyone in high spirits as they checked out the latest equestrian fashions and explored the store’s new location.

The weather was in full cooperation, with a gorgeous crescent moon hovering over palm trees as they “sipped and sampled” the best of everything. Door prizes went out to happy recipients with ovations from the crowd as each name was announced.

“I am so grateful to all of our clients for coming here to join us,” Sho Clothes co-owner Michele Hundt said. “Really, they are so special to us. They are the reason we decided to open the Sho Room.”

It was a night to remember. Writer/rider Tami Hoag came to mingle and sign some of her fabulous books, and she brought Michael Klimke and his wife along. Klimke is visiting from Germany to coach Tami during the week prior to the Zada Grand Prix CDI.

Equestrians Oded Shimoni, Betsy Steiner, Kathy Priest, John Zopatti, Michele Gibson,

Elizabeth Niemi, Rick Silvia, Betsy Berrey, Chris Hickey, Lily Zilo and dozens of others were on-hand to congratulate Hundt and co-owner Betsy Rebar Sell on their new location.

Since the inception of Sho Clothes in 2001, the company’s mission has been to give back to the dressage community. In keeping with this tradition, Hundt and Rebar Sell are putting together plans for several events for the Sho Room this summer.

“It’s a ‘cool’ place to host summer activities for our growing number of year round riders,” Hundt said. “So many of our customers are living in Wellington year round, we want to be here for them.”

It’s just one more way Sho Clothes sets an example of their commitment to the sport and the community that supports it.

Sho Clothes carries the finest in dressage clothes and accessories from Arista, Cavallo, Eurofit, Kentucky and Pikeur. The store offers handmade stock ties and stock pins, one-of-a-kind Carol Ehrlich jewelry and gift items.

In addition to visiting the Sho Clothes mobile boutique at horse shows, dressage enthusiasts can stop by the Sho Clothes Sho Room at 3220 Fairlane Farms Road or visit www.shoclothes.com. Call (561) 319-2121 for Sho Room hours.

Viso LASIK Medspas Upgrades Facility

Viso LASIK Medspas in Wellington recently unveiled its revitalized treatment center.

Formerly known as the Palm Beach Laser Eye Institute, Viso LASIK Medspas celebrated its newly centralized location for medspa services and state-ofthe-art, blade-free laser vision correction.

Despite tornado warnings, the 3,108-square-foot space filled with a prompt kickoff on Tuesday, Feb. 12.

More than 100 guests attended the re-launch and enjoyed complimentary passed hors d’oeuvres and wine, mini-massages, live demonstrations and left with a gift bag. Winners of door prizes received one of three special packages — a full skin care system valued at $2,500, a facial and SilkPeel package, or a 50-minute massage. Guests

toured the facility, guided by staff members including Medical Director Dr. Salvatore DeCanio.

Specialists were on hand to demonstrate the photo facial, a procedure that stimulates collagen growth by delivering light energy through the skin’s surface; and a SilkPeel, a technique of precision exfoliation and dermal infusion that reveals skin’s true beauty. In addition, one-on-one tutorials educated guests on the laser hair-removal procedure. A glass-enclosed procedure room afforded attendees an up-close observation of LASIK vision correction, performed on a Viso LASIK Medspas guest. For more information, visit www.visolasikmedspas.com. To make a reservation, call (561) 795-4772.

Erdman Anthony Names Merritt Business Leader

Erdman Anthony recently announced the appointment of Bryan Merritt to the position of core business leader of the firm’s Geospatial Division. The firm also announced the formation of a new organizational structure designed to meet the current needs of an everchanging market.

“Erdman Anthony’s Florida office has excelled in providing

professional surveying services to a number of clients over the last 15 years, including the Florida Department of Transportation and the South Florida Water Management District,” Vice President and Florida Operations Manager James Noth said. “Locating the corporate Geospatial Division headquarters in the Florida office will al-

low us to continue this dedicated effort and expand the services we offer, including our new laser scanning technology.”

The benefits of survey laser scanning services include highly detailed 3-D data, shorter data collection time, safer and less intrusive field operations, and enhanced visual capabilities.

Erdman Anthony’s Florida office is located at 1402 Royal Palm Beach Blvd., Suite 500 in Royal Palm Beach.

For nearly 60 years, Erdman Anthony has been providing in-

frastructure engineering and support services to private industry and government clients.

The firm employs nearly 300 people, including over 100 professional engineers and licensed land surveyors throughout its six offices located in Albany, Buffalo, Poughkeepsie, and Rochester, New York; Harrisburg, Pennsylvania; and Royal Palm Beach.

For more information on Erdman Anthony, visit the firm’s web site at www.erdman anthony.com.

Tami Hoag with Michael and Manuela Klimke.

Jennifer Arillo, John Flanagan, Noreen O’Sullivan and Chris Curiger enjoy the evening.

Betsy Rebar Sell and Oded Shimoni.

State Of The Art — Guests take a look inside one of the rooms at Viso LASIK Medspas’ revitalized treatment center.

Bryan Merritt

ARMENTO PAINTING & SONS, INC. –– Painting, Interior, Exterior. Pressure cleaning. Custom painting, faux art. Lic. No. U14736. 798-8978. BD

JOHN PERGOLIZZI PAINTING INC. ––– Interior/Exterior, artistic faux finishing, pressure cleaning, popcorn ceiling, drywall repair, & roof painting/cleaning. Free est. Call 798-4964. Lic.#U18473 LARRY’S PAINTING & WALLPAPER — Licensed • Bonded • Insured. Interior/Exterior painting. 561-309-2845. Wallpaper - Luanne 561-801-2018 Painting • Residential • Commercial • Historical Restoration • Faux Finishing • Stucco Repair • Roof Painting • and Pressure Cleaning • Sand Blasting • Mold Removal. FLEISCHER’S PAINTING • 561-833-6661. LET US AD A LITTLE COLOR TO YOUR LIFE — Residential/Commercial. Licensed • Bonded • Insured. Owner/Operator. Ask for Paul 561-3098290. COLORS BY CORO, INC. — Interior/ Exterior, residential painting, over 20 years exp. Small Jobs welcome. Free estimates - Insured. 561-383-8666. Owner/Operated. Lic.# U20627 Ins. Wellington Resident. RJA PAINTING & DECORATING — interior, exterior, custom colors, faux artwork, all work guaranteed. Lic. Bonded & Insured. 561-616-2255 PAINTING — HOME PAINTING Interior – Exterior. $1290 +tax up to 2500 sq. ft. (walls area) 561-674HOME(4663) J&C’s Faux Painting Service, Inc. Lic./Ins. U14092 CREATIVE PAINTING SYSTEMS, INC. — Interior • Exterior • Residential Specialists. WE DELIVER WHAT WE PROMISE. All work guaranteed. FREE ESTIMATES. Family owned & Operated. Over 23 years experience. License #U-18337 • Bonded • Insured Owner/Operator George Born. 561686-6701

GARABAR, INC. ROOFING & GENERAL CONSTRUCTION — 561-3376798 www.garabar.com Lic. #CGC 1510976 CCC1327252. “Deal” Direct withowner. Please see our display ad* Major credit cards accepted. Fast Free Estimates. Insurance claim specialists. IDEAL ROOFING SYSTEMS — Residential • Commercial • Licensed • Bonded • Insured. New Construction • Reroofs • Repairs • Roof Tile • Shingles • Metal Roofs • Flat Decks • MaintenanceContracts info@idealroofingsystems.com. Palm Beach/Broward Office: 561-753-7663 Fax: 561-753-7696. St. Lucie/Indian River. Office: 772-288-6440. Fax: 772287-9008. 11101 S. Crown Way #6, Wellington, FL 33414. Lic. #CCC1326453

JOHN’S SCREEN REPAIR SERVICE — Pool & patio rescreening. Stay tight,wrinkle-free,guaranteed! Lic.#9001390. 798-3132.

ROLL DOWN SHUTTERS — Accor-

“You dealt with the rest now deal with the best” maintenance and repairs. Inquire about 1 months FREE service. 561-791-5073 ELITE POOL CLEANING

J&B PRESSURE CLEANING — Established in 1984. All types of pressure cleaning, roofs, houses, driveways, patios etc. Commercial & Residential.Call Butch 561-309-6975 BD

PRIMROSEPROPERTY MANAGMENT FULL SERVICE RESIDENTIAL HOME CARE — Weekly inspections, repairs, & maintenance. Monthly reports, Reasonable rates. 561-602-6857oremail primrosepm123@aol.com

MINOR ROOF REPAIRS – Roof painting. Carpentry. License #U9 865. 9675580. BD SHAKE ROOF SPECIALISTS –– New roofs, repairs, preservation. License #CC025465. Shake Masters, Shake Chem. Members of Shake Bureau. 439-6668 BD ROBERT G. HARTMANN ROOFING Specializing in repairs. Free estimates, Bonded,insured. Lic. #CCC 058317 Ph: 561-790-0763. BD ROOFING REPAIRS REROOFING ALL TYPES — Pinewood Construction, Inc. Honest and reliable. Serving Palm Beach County for over 20 years. Call Mike 561-309-0134 Lic. Ins. Bonded. CGC-023773 RC-0067207